


Castaway the Heart

by FayeValentine



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Poor Kris, Rich Sehun, Romance, Tropy Wife Jongin, deserted island
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-09-12 00:29:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 27,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9047978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FayeValentine/pseuds/FayeValentine
Summary: Jongin and Sehun have a toxic marraige, but it wasn't always this way. When Sehun finally manages to get into his boss' good graces and wants to take Jongin on a business cruise with him, will he accept?





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> This was based off a Madonna movie I loved, yet hated for its sad ending. This was also my attempt at expanding my writing and incorporating real angst in one of my stories.

## Castaway the Heart

 

 

The low din of the party was familiar. Jongin was used to it, he hated coming to these events, but his husband was not one to turn down a chance to flatter his bosses and weasel in a promotion.

“Ah, Sehun, it’s great to see you!” A large man greeted enthusiastically. His accented English was clipped and a little choppy; Jongin guessed he was German or something of the like. He clapped Sehun one the shoulder and Jongin fought to keep a straight face, Sehun looked like a disgruntled kitten.

“Likewise Mr. Monroe.” Sehun replied with less enthusiasm. His tone was polite and he managed to school his features into one of feigned interest.

“Please, just John is all right! We’re off duty now, no need for formalities,” He said as he sat down at a nearby table. The placard there had his name written in fancy script, though the seats around him had no such cards. ‘ _How quaint, he has a whole table to himself. It must be to compensate for the size of his beer gut._ ’ Jongin thought snidely, subtly adjusting his suit jacket.

Unfortunately, John caught onto the action and he turned to face Jongin with a slight leer in his eyes. “Oh? Who is this beauty?” He asked, taking in Jongin’s sleek black suit and the fitted pants that made his legs look miles long.

Sehun puffed up his chest and he put a possessive arm around Jongin, though it was only used to push him forward a little closer to his boss. “This is my dear husband, Oh Jongin.” He said, his eyes darting to John’s and noting the way he seemed to be undressing Jongin with his eyes. “He’s a little gem I picked up in Korea several years ago.” It was something he always said, although he seemed to forget that Jongin was the polite dancer who showed him his way to his hotel because he couldn’t speak a lick of his own language.

John licked his lips and Jongin suppressed the urge to shudder and gag. “So this one’s a real diamond in the rough, isn’t he?” The repulsive man asked and Jongin snapped.

“My name is  _Jongin_ , it would do you well to use it.” He spat, his eyes narrowing and a frown twisting his plump glossed lips. Sehun tensed at his side and he shot an accusatory look at Jongin as if to say  _are you crazy!? That’s my Boss you’re mouthing off to!_

Pursing his lips, Jongin lowered his eyes to the floor and he drew into himself. Sehun’s hand at the base of his back now felt more than restrictive. It didn’t always used to be this way….

However, John didn’t seem offended at all. In fact, the older man burst out into loud obnoxious laughter and he braced his hand on Jongin’s elbow, pulling him down and into the seat next to him. “You’re feisty Jongin, I like that. It’s a nice change from all the ‘yes men’ who tip toe around me.” He said with a smile that seemed genuine and though there remained a lascivious spark in his eyes, it was overshadowed by amusement.

Sehun tensed and his eyebrows furrowed, ‘ _It’s not like I want to be a yes man!_ ’ He thought in irritation, watching as his husband and his boss drew close.

Forgetting about Sehun, John turned his whole attention on Jongin. “So Jongin, what exactly do you think of the recent spikes in the stock market, should I hold out or sell all my stock?” He asked and Sehun frowned, taking a seat at Jongin’s side. He knew the answer to the question, it was one his boss asked him when they first met to gauge his competence.

Jongin smiled hesitantly, but when the waitress came by with glasses of champagne, he visibly relaxed and his smile softened. “I don’t know much about business and the like, but I do know a little something about dance.” He murmured, taking the glass and placing it at the edge of his lips to take an appreciative sip.

“Dance hmm? Would you mind elaborating?” John watched the action with rapt attention and Sehun scoffed at his husband’s side. He just knew that Jongin was playing up the sex appeal to his boss, he always did with any male or female who paid  _any_  attention to him.

Humming and putting down the delicate flute of bubbly golden liquid, Jongin smiled brightly and his eyes sparkled with intense passion. “Of course! I used to major in dance at Seoul National University. I studied everything from ballet and contemporary to urban hip hop.”

The waitress passed by again and Sehun quickly grabbed her attention. He was not willing to sit at a leisure company dinner sober if it meant he had to watch Jongin act like a sell piece.

“Really?” John asked, leaning into Jongin’s side and smoothly placing his hand on the back of his chair. “Would you like to give us a demonstration?”

Jongin shifted uncomfortably at the close proximity of the older man and he stole a look at his husband. Sehun was ignoring him, but he was chatting up the waitress with a flirty smile, a couple of empty champagne flutes placed neatly in front of him.

‘ _So we’re back to this stupid game, huh?_ ’ Jongin thought furiously. Deciding to screw his inhibitions, he downed the last of his drink and he turned back to Sehun’s boss with a reckless smile. “Why not?”

“Great!” John gleefully said, his elated expression making him look a little more amiable. He waved his hand in the air and his thick silver rings set with precious gems glinted in the low light of the restaurant. A waiter saw him waving and he walked over to the large business man.

“Sir, is there a problem?” He asked politely with slightly accented English. His hair was pushed back neatly and his suit was impeccably clean, although the collar of his shirt wasn’t buttoned all the way and he wasn’t wearing the red bow tie that the rest of the waiters did. All in all, he was devilishly handsome and he towered overhead, the type that Jongin used to fall for.

John waved his hand nonchalantly. “No, no, everything’s fine Kris. I just want the stage to be cleared, Jongin here will be putting on a performance and I want only the best of accommodations for him.”

The waiter, Kris, nodded and he walked away to carry out the order without sparing Jongin a single contemptuous glance. He eyes said all that he couldn’t out loud, and Jongin bristled.

‘ _What the hell is his problem?_ ’ Jongin thought with a huff, his temper flaring at the servant with an attitude. He didn’t appreciate the insinuation that he had to fuck a rich man to get the privilege of his own stage.

Clearing his throat, John turned back to Jongin with an excited look on his face. “I look forward to your dance, I’m very sure that it’ll be nothing short of breath taking.”

Jongin spared another glance at his husband, but he’d already taken the hand of the waitress and led her away from the table. A sharp pang of hurt flashed through Jongin, but he was so used to it by now that he welcomed the feeling with warm arms, taking comfort in the pain.

“I will be sure to surpass your expectations,” Jongin said with a twisted smile on his lips, his eyes glazing over as he stole John’s glass of champagne and downed the entire flute. The man raised a brow, but he didn’t say anything. Jongin didn’t care if he saw Sehun leave him at the party, nor did he care that he was drinking excessively at the moment. ‘ _Why the hell did I bother getting married?’_  He thought with a vague feeling of regret, but it was pushed aside with a rage that made him want to lash out, to not act like the perfect trophy husband for once. If Sehun could act like he wasn’t married, then so could he!

“Sir, the stage is ready.” Kris said in a low voice, startling Jongin and almost making him spit out his third glass of champagne, courtesy of the co-worker of the slutty waitress who took off with Sehun.

“Jongin, I believe it’s time,” John murmured, turning to Jongin and watching as he downed the last glass before standing.

Kris looked at the stack of glasses at the table and Jongin could feel the judgement rolling off him in near tangible waves. ‘ _Who the hell is this man to look down on me!?_ ’ Jongin thought, adjusting his jacket and pushing his hair off his forehead. He was flushed and warm and his anger and impatience made him feel ready to burst.

“ _Waiter_ , clear the table and prepare a Winston Cocktail, I’m sure my good husband can more than handle the tab.” Jongin said, ordering the most expensive drink he could think of to spite his asshole of a husband. If he was going to run off with a whore, he might as well pay for it with the money he’ll get from the promotion that John will give him. Jongin certainly wasn’t going to dance like some high class prostitute for nothing.

‘ _If this damn job means so much to him, I’ll give the bastard what he wants,_ ’ Jongin thought vindictively, walking past the gaping waiter and a surprised John. When he walked to the middle of the empty dance floor, people turned to watch him pass and low whispers of  _who is he?_  echoed in Jongin’s ears.

Ignoring them all, he ascended the steps leading to the middle of the stage. The live band in the corner gave each other confused looks, but they came to attention when Jongin snapped a few fingers at them. “Play something fast paced and smooth.” He ordered.

The leader of the band nodded and he turned back to the rest of the instrument players. He whispered out the name of a song and everyone scrambled into position. The lights dimmed in the restaurant, but the stage remained brightly lit and Jongin had to narrow his eyes and squint a bit just to be able to see beyond the spotlight aimed at him.

Immediately, trumpets blared in quick succession, followed by the beat of drums, a smooth sax piping in here and there and quickening the pace of the entire song. Jazz, and it was something that made Jongin feel challenged, so the dancer quickly began to move in a complicated set of steps, his body following along and bringing him to the pace of the song.

 He danced out his anger, his expressions following his emotions as memories of Sehun flitted through his mind. There was a time when things were beautiful, comfortable, and easy. Jongin didn’t have to try so hard to stay pretty and youthful, and Sehun never used to care that he didn’t act high class

The bass notes increased in speed and Jongin tore off his jacket and shoved his hair back to move more freely, twirling with the music and moving his hips to the beat while his feet never stopped moving.

Sehun used to come home at a reasonable hour, he used to bring flowers and little gifts that made him think of Jongin while he was away. Jongin used to cook dinner and wait by the door patiently for him to come home, then he started staying out later and eventually he wouldn’t come back until the dead of night and Jongin soon quit waiting.

Sweat dripped down the side of Jongin’s temple and when he whipped his hair out of his face, exposing the long column of his throat, the waiter and the business man watched with rapt attention. He had the entire attention of the room as he danced out his anger, his hurt, and his hope. _No_ one dared to speak and more than a few people in the audience now had more than a spark of admiration lighting up their eyes.

The music escalated into a loud crescendo and Jongin’s movements became faster and more frantic, until he remembered nothing of his husband or the room of people watching his every move. With one last flourished spin, the music reached an end and Jongin stopped moving, falling into a breathless bow, the adrenaline of the dance and the exhilaration of the music still thrumming through his blood.

A hush fell around the room and Jongin could hear the rush of his heartbeats echoing in his ears. Tentatively, he stood from his bow and he felt a flush work its way onto his cheeks, eventually staining his neck and making the honeyed skin gleam like rose gold.

Star struck dark eyes met his and Jongin watched as Kris gulped, his brown eyes darkening to a black. However, instead of feeling shame for being caught staring, Kris narrowed his eyes and his lips formed a scowl. Jongin read his expression and found annoyance, yet the darkness of his eyes held a gleam of something that hinted close to lust.

“Bravo!” John shouted as he clapped energetically, interrupting Jongin’s train of thought and forcing him to tear his eyes away from the waiter who looked down on him.

Whistles and applause soon followed from everyone in the room and Jongin was brought back into the moment. He was standing on a stage, panting and flushed from letting out his bottled up emotions, he was on display for everyone and instead of shying away self-consciously, Jongin shot the crowd a confident smirk. He made sure that Kris received the brunt of it and he felt satisfaction when the waiter’s jaw clenched and he stormed back to the kitchens.

 _‘Serves him right, judgmental bastard!_ ’ Jongin thought smugly as he descended from the stage and made his way back to John’s side. The man wasn’t the best of company, but he at least paid for a celebratory round of drinks that had Jongin reeling through the night, thoughts of dark eyes and Sehun drifting away along with his pain.

 

 

 ♡ 

 

 

The next morning was brutal and Jongin awoke in his hotel suit to an empty bed. Sunlight peeked through the shut curtains and a ray managed to hit him right in the eyes, forcing him to squint in an effort to not be blinded by the light.

‘ _I shouldn’t even be surprised anymore,_ ’ He thought, sighing when he rolled over to cool sheets on the other side of the bed. Sehun was either long gone, or he didn’t come back to the room the night before.

Memories of the last night whirled in his mind and gave him a headache that did nothing to help his hangover. Over all he felt the need to leave, to go somewhere new and start over—with or without Sehun. Jongin had spent nearly six years married to him, not counting the three years he dated him in Seoul. It was time for a change, he was tired of the way things were as it was, and instead of putting up with it for another minute, he wanted to end it all.

 _‘Maybe…I could even start to dance again…_ ’ He thought, his eyes shut as fantasy images of a stage and softly composed classical music played in the back. He could imagine the movements, the perfection of ballet and the art found in movement. He missed it, and it was the one of the main things that Jongin regretted giving up for Sehun.

 A soft click of the locked door opening had Jongin sitting upright in surprise.

Dressed impecceably, Sehun strolled into the room with all the confidence of a man with money to spare. His handsome face was impassive and Jongin could barely read his mood through his eyes. He appeared to be calm, though satisfied and the memory of him leaving with someone else yesterday had Jongin feeling more worked up than he has in a long time.

“Where did you go last night?” Jongin asked in a low tone, his voice a waring.

Stopping in front of the vanity in the room, Sehun turned his back to Jongin and he took a few moments to adjust his hair. “I thought you didn’t notice, you seemed more than content in the company of Mr. Monroe last night.”

Bristling, Jongin fisted his hands in the sheets pooled around his waist. “Well you were wrong. Anyone would notice their husband leaving a company party with a cheap thrill.”

Sehun remained clam, but Jongin saw his hands clench and unclench at his sides. “That may be, however I was  _more_  than polite enough to copulate within a private setting.”

“I did nothing!” Jongin shouted back, his face turning red with anger as he spat his words. “And who are you to fucking claim decency!? You left me at  _your_  party for some whore, as if I were no more than an acquaintance to you! No  _real_  husband would pull shit like that!”

Whirling around, Sehun stalked his way to the edge of the bed with short, angry steps. He stopped right at Jongin’s side and he leaned down closer to his husband in an unconsciously intimidating manner. “You’re right, no real husband would dare to even look at someone else while their spouse is sitting next to them, yet you seem to think you’re some  _angel_. I saw you making a pass at my boss!” He shouted back, his eyes blazing and his words no more than a growl. “Is it the money that thrills you!? Or do you enjoy  _fucking_  men with power in general?”

Jongin gasped at that, but he grit his teeth and before he could even think about it, his hand shot forth and he slapped Sehun right across the cheek. The force of it turned his head to the right and a red mark immediately bloomed across his pale cheek.

Shock flooded Sehun’s features and it was more emotion he’d shown the past week, aside from anger and apathy.

“I am _nothing_ like you, so don’t you ever think for a minute that I ever went back on my vows,” Jongin seethed, though tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. He felt a whirl of hot emotions, all stemming in his chest and it burned his heart more than anything.

Sehun glared at him and he drew away from Jongin. The ex-dancer tensed and he watched with baited breath as Sehun steadfastly made his way to the hotel door. With one last look at his heaving husband, Sehun shut the door behind him and left the room.

The echo of the shutting door remained in Jongin’s ears and the sound bounced around in his head to the beat of his pounding migraine. The frustrated tears finally fell and Jongin angrily swiped at them.

 _‘No matter what I say, that hard headed ass thinks that I’m some adulterer!’_ The thought made him angrier and more tears slipped out of his eyes. Jongin remained devoted and yet somewhere along the way, Sehun lost trust in him and that made needles of pain stab through Jongin’s heart. He didn’t deserve his husband’s suspicion, but there was nothing more he could do to convince him.

“I  _hate_  this thing!” Jongin growled, staring accusingly at the ring on his left finger. It was a thin gold band with a single diamond set in the center. It was tiny and delicate and it was bought in a time when Sehun could barely afford anything, back when he just finished college and wanted to promise Jongin a future he was sure would be filled with endless love.

Thinking that he had enough of marriage, Jongin grasped the ring with his fingertips and he pulled with all the strength he could muster. The gold band slipped as far along as his knuckle, but no matter how hard Jongin yanked on it, the ring refused to come off.

Sighing, Jongin finally gave up. With a small sniffle, he slumped in bed and he stared mournfully at the delicate piece of warped metal. It used to instill a sense of pride and fondness within him, and even after Sehun bought him a new wedding ring more resplendent and expensive than his first one, Jongin couldn’t quite give it up.

Now he’d like nothing more than to remove it, yet it stayed on his hand like a shackle that restricted his freedom. 

 _‘I’m never going to escape from this, am I?_ ’ He asked no one in particular. Only the sound of the clock ticking away the hours of his life responded and loneliness and despair wrapped around Jongin like an old friend.

 

 

 ♡ 

 

 

The hustle and bustle of the bar within the hotel was distracting. It was exactly what Jongin needed, even though it was barely past two in the afternoon, he was ready to get a head start on the night’s drinking.

Strolling languidly into the bar, people turned to stare at him and Jongin relished in the attention. He sent flirty winks out and smirks to accompany his swaying hips, knowing full well that his clothing wasn’t decent enough for his high class husband. But Sehun wasn’t around and he had no more control of his life, Jongin was ready to live and he wasn’t going to let his estranged husband indirectly control his actions any longer. He was tired of trying to please such a cold and apathetic man anyway.

Sitting at the bar and taking a stool near the dance floor, Jongin ordered up as shot of tequila. It tasted cheap and the sharp tang of the lime and the strong flavor of salt couldn’t chase it away. Jongin relished it, it reminded him of days when he spent free weekends with old friends, hitting up bars and scamming free drinks off people looking for more than a little fun with the dancers of SNU.

“What the fuck!” A loud voice shouted from behind Jongin. Curious, he turned around and he saw a man furiously shouting and wiping at his suit sleeve. “Watch where the hell you’re going you clumsy chink! This suit cost more than your entire fucking yearly salary!”

The tall waiter who ran into the screaming man looked familiar and it wasn’t until a deep voice spoke that Jongin recognized him as Kris. Briefly, Jongin wondered if he had two jobs, that would explain the appearance in the hotel and the restaurant the night before, but Jongin couldn’t imagine why someone would deliberately choose to work more than eight hours a day. Waiting tables and serving disgruntled customers hardly seemed like a career that deserved so much devotion.

Kris bowed and the action seemed to startle the shouting American, he was most likely a tourist and was more than unused to Asian customs. “Sorry sir, I’ll be sure to compensate the cleaning fee-”

“Like hell you will!” The man shouted as he eyed Kris up and down crudely. “You look more depraved and destitute than my maid, I want to speak to a manager. You deserve to be fired for this!”

Kris tensed and Jongin wondered why the thought of getting fired bothered him more than the racial slur the man used earlier. ‘ _Then again, he does look shabbier than he did last night…_ ’ Jongin thought. In the low light of the restaurant, and with the help of a couple of drinks, Kris had at least appeared professional. Now he was donning a worn out pair of jeans and an old black shirt that had faded with time. His uniform apron covered up most of it, but it didn’t entirely help him look any less poor.

“Sir! Please don’t do that, I promise I can afford the fee!” Kris begged, the broad line of his shoulders curling back in repressed pride. Kris wasn’t the type to beg Jongin assumed.

“ _No_. Call in your boss, you will not spend another second in this hotel! My family is a very respected patron here and our business is more important than some broken English speaking  _immigrant_ ,” The man sneered, his blue eyes narrowing in a glare that made Jongin want to punch him because the look reminded him of Sehun.

When Kris didn’t move fast enough for his tastes, the man stomped out of the bar and he stopped at the front desk. He complained very loudly and Kris was forced to follow the obnoxious man out. Losing sight of the pair, Jongin turned back to the bar and ordered another shot. This time, he made sure to tell the bar tender to keep them coming, opening up a new tab that Sehun would silently seethe about but pay for nonetheless.

“Shame Kris was fired, he worked pretty hard for the meager pay they got here.” The chatty bar tender said once the shouting in the front of the hotel quieted. Kris had appeared in the bar again, ashen faced and furious as he handed in his apron, gathered the last of his pay, and left for good.

Jongin didn’t bother to make eye contact, he didn’t know Kris and he personally just wanted another drink, but his tab was steadily growing more expensive and he figured the bar tender would be more open to handing out free drinks if he pretended to listen.

“It’s unfair that a rich brat like that can just stroll in and make a man lose everything he’d worked for.” The bartender continued as he meticulously dried a wet glass.

‘ _I’d bet they all love to talk about us high class bastards behind our backs,_ ’ Jongin thought wryly as the hotel employee continued his rant about inequality and injustice, seemingly ignoring the fact that it was severely unprofessional to gossip about a respected hotel patron. Before he met Sehun, Jongin would have been joining in and complaining about the rich guys who came to the dance studio he worked at and tried to buy him and his friends for a night or get them to sign a contract that would screw them over completely.

 

 

  ~~♡~~

 

 

Sehun didn’t come back for another night and Jongin woke up with the fourth straight hangover he’d had within the week. His drinking was steadily growing out of control, but Jongin found himself liking the cycle of the bottle. He’d feel bad, then good, then he’d forget everything for a while and pass out. The next afternoon he’d wake up with a hangover that he drank again to get rid of. It was also nice that Sehun was forced to pay for everything, it made Jongin feel vindicated.

But this morning topped Jongin’s list of shitty mornings and he rushed to the bathroom, falling to the floor because his leg had fallen asleep in the weird position he’d slept in. Groaning, Jongin practically crawled to the bathroom and hugged the rim of the toilet to throw up the contents of his stomach, only nothing but clear liquid came up and Jongin vaguely registered the fact that he hadn’t eaten within two days.

 _‘Oh well, it’s not like anyone gives a damn,’_  Jongin thought bitterly when he finally finished heaving. He sat back against the tub and wiped his mouth once he was tone flushing the toilet. Sehun sure as hell doesn’t care what Jongin does, and aside from getting angry at what he perceived as Jongin’s infidelity, he remained cold and distant. _‘Bastard probably wants me to drink myself to death, he pays for all the damn liquor without so much as a batted eye!’_

The last thought had Jongin frowning and vowing to at least get his drinking narrowed back down to every other day.

Standing up, Jongin didn’t bother closing the bathroom door as he stripped down to nothing and started the shower, jumping under the cold spray before it had a chance to warm up. He was strong enough to exercise self-control, he wasn’t about to let Sehun get what he wanted. In fact, he was going to demand a divorce and then he was going to-

“Jongin?” A deep voice called and he tensed under the spray of now hot water. Sehun was back and he was stuck in the shower.

Footsteps muffled by carpet sounded in the room and Jongin could hear Sehun stop at the doorway of the bathroom. Deciding that Sehun must have come back for something, Jongin went back to lathering shampoo into his thick dark hair. “What?” He grumbled, closing his eyes and defiantly going back to his shower.

Sehun cleared his throat and Jongin could feel a pair of eyes on him. The glass door of the shower was waved and it distorted his figure so that he at least had some privacy, but Sehun was making him feel so exposed and vulnerable.

“I just wanted to talk.” Sehun finally said, his voice a little rough and Jongin could imagine the disheveled state of his hair. After an argument, he always went out to find someone to bed and he made it a point to come back with the evidence still lingering. It made Jongin clench his teeth and inwardly regret ever uttering vows of devotion to the bastard who easily threw them away the fourth year into their marriage.

“There’s nothing to talk about. I want  _nothing_  to do with you.” Jongin spat out, rinsing the shampoo from his hair and moving onto conditioning.

Sehun shuffled into the room and he shut the bathroom door behind him. “I do not believe that this cannot be fixed, we’ve gone through worse before.”

He meant the time that Sehun slipped up and Jongin actually caught him in the act. It stung, but what made it worse was the fact that it was in  _their_  bed, in  _their_  home, and it occurred while Jongin was out buying an apology present for his husband because he was in the wrong for deliberately flirting with another man to make Sehun jealous. Well he got Jongin back tenfold and it was the first of many disappointments and heart breaks that Jongin experienced while being married to his first love.  

Just the memory made Jongin scowl and yank the fluffy pink loofa off the shower head to put soap on and wash his body with. “If you think bringing up worse times is going to make this better, you’re dead wrong because it’s fucking pissing me off instead.” The cloyingly sweet smell of sugar and fruit permeated the bathroom and Jongin cursed himself for falling into the habit of buying things that pleased Sehun. He loved sweet smells on his lovers and Jongin used to be proud to of the ability to make his husband jump him with nothing more than a flutter of his lashes and the use of scented soaps and lotions.

Now it made him sick to think that he once wanted to please him at all.

Sehun sighed heavily and through the thick pane of glass, Jongin could see that he was leaning against the side of the sink with his hands braced behind him. The pose spoke nothing but nonchalance but the slope of his broad shoulders clued Jongin into the fact that Sehun was tired. Maybe as tired as he was.

“I know, that’s not what I was trying to say…” He awkwardly began. Jongin wanted to ignore him, he really did, but Sehun sounded weary and frustrated and those were emotions that Jongin could more than sympathize with. “I got a promotion today.” He finally said and Jongin bitterly smiled to himself. ‘ _Of course, that’s the only reason he wants to speak to me. His job trumps all in life, second only to his fucking dick._ ’ He thought as he scrubbed his skin raw with the loofa, throwing it to the side of the shower tub before he flung himself under the spray of the shower.

“Mr. Monroe said that he enjoyed his time with you and he invited us to join him on a cruise to the southern tip of Africa. It will take no more than four weeks and if I manage to impress him, I’m sure he’ll make me the overseer of his business transactions between the two countries.” Sehun could speak English as well as German and a multitude of other European languages, but the thought of him learning to speak the language of some complicated third world country made Jongin burst out into loud guffaws of laughter.

“So you want to move to Africa for your job? Are you going to blend in with the locals and don a loincloth as well?” Jongin scoffed, moving out from under the spray and reaching for his toothbrush and tooth paste. “Hell, I’d bet if  _John_  asked you to, you’d do it with a smile on your face.”

Sehun was probably angry and Jongin could imagine his knuckles turning white as he clutched the edge of the counter. ‘ _Good, let him be angry, he needs to feel something other than an orgasm once in a blue moon._ ’ He thought as he squeezed a bit of toothpaste onto his travel tooth brush. He wanted nothing more than to leave the hotel and go back to the only semblance of a home he had—the pretty little house he shared with Sehun in their upper class neighborhood, surrounded by families with children that mocked Jongin with their happiness and fake perfection. At least there he’d have a liquor cabinet stocked full of his favorite drinks.

“I realize that you haven’t been happy in years,” Sehun said and Jongin snorted. “However, I am asking for this one favor, you don’t even have to move out of our home in America. Some space would help, and as they say, absence makes the heart grow stronger.”

Jongin nearly spat out his toothbrush at that load of bullshit. Sehun would just use the distance to fuck around some more, only this time he wouldn’t have to face his nonexistent conscience with Jongin not around to point an accusatory finger at him.

“You don’t believe that.” Jongin finally answered in harsh tone. “You don’t believe in anything, and you sure as hell don’t’ trust me. In fact, you’d rather spend your days out and about, and your nights away from me! If ‘ _distance makes the heart grow stronger_ ,’ then mine must be made of fucking diamonds and Orachalcum.” He rinsed his mouth and shut off the water with a simple flick of his wrist.

Sliding the shower door aside with a bang, Jongin stepped into the bathroom and shamelessly stood before Sehun. His husband’s eyes roamed his body freely, but Jongin ignored him and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he made his way to the door, but before he could so much as touch it, Sehun’s arm darted out and his hand shoved against the heavy wood. He was keeping Jongin from pulling it open and leaving to get dressed.

Frustrated, Jongin whirled around and glared up at his  _beloved_  husband. “Why are you-”

Moist pink lips crashed against his own and Jongin froze in surprise, expecting anything but  _that_. Ignoring his unresponsiveness, Sehun pressed closer to him and the hand not trapping the door shut slid own Jongin’s side and gripped a fistful of towel.

Heat flooded Jongin’s senses and he unconsciously melted into Sehun, his lips tentatively responding to the familiar press of Sehun’s lips against his own. It’s been a long time since they’d been this close and it was making Jongin weak in the knees.

Pulling away from Jongin, Sehun rested his forehead against his husbands, his dark eyes looking into his eyes with a swirl of undecipherable emotions in them. “Jongin, I miss you…” He murmured, his tone low and throaty enough to make Jongin’s body shiver in anticipation. He remembered all the things his voice did to his heart and Jongin knew that he wouldn’t be able to fight Sehun off for long, especially since it’s been a while since he was touched or looked at with more than plain acknowledgement from Sehun.

Not waiting for more of a response, Sehun leaned forward again and he licked into Jongin’s mouth with a practiced ease, not having forgotten the sensation of his husband’s lips or the exact techniques that made Jongin whine with need.

However, when Sehun insistently pulled at the towel in his grasp and made it slip low over his hips, Jongin pressed a firm hand against Sehun’s chest and he mustered all the strength he had to push his husband back. Surprised, Sehun flew back few steps and he stared at Jongin with shock painting his handsome features.

Heaving, Jongin raised a shaky hand to his lips and with the back of his hand, he wiped his mouth. Sehun scowled at the action, but the harsh light of the bathroom brought out the red marks scattered across the bottom of jaw. It decorated the expanse of his neck and where his shirt was unbuttoned, Jongin could see the continued hints of magenta colored  _love_   _bites_ on his chest. He clenched his fists and he was glad that Sehun didn’t bother to hide them, it made turning him away all the more easy.

“I’m not letting you touch me after you fucked some random whore! In fact you  _stink_ , their cheap perfume is giving me a headache.” Jongin spat with a glare. Not waiting for a response, He opened the door to the bathroom and shut it behind him with a slam that made the doorframe shake.

 

 

~~♡~~

 

 

Even though it was early spring at the moment, the streets were chilly and it made Jongin wish that he dried his hair before he threw on whatever was in his closet and left the hotel. Insulting Sehun and then storming out had felt good and more liberating than anything, but it would be damn counterproductive if he went back to the hotel to grab a light jacket.

So Jongin stubbornly kept walking down the street of the little port town that bordered the eastern edge of America. Sehun had dragged him halfway across the continent for the business dinner that he ditched him at, which was another reason for Jongin to justify hating his husband. He had a long list by now, but his stupid heart clung to the last remnants of the Sehun that would do cliché romantic things and blush as he shared them with Jongin. He remembered the time that Sehun brought him out to dinner and had a friend play the guitar at their table while he sang a rough acapella version of Jongin’s favorite song, blushing harder than a tomato the entire time.

He felt sorry now for how naïve he used to be, and for how jaded he was now. Jongin used to live everyday just to see Sehun smile or let out a rare laugh, or simply look at him with warmth and love in his eyes.

Disgusted by his train of thought, Jongin shook them off and he entered a random restaurant for a very late lunch. He needed to eat if he was going to stop drinking, and though he craved the loss of control or inhibitions that liquor brought, he was already reeling from Sehun’s stupid kiss and he was more than ready to wash the taste of him out with something savory.

Greeting the hostess inside, Jongin was politely led to a private table set up for two. And Jongin couldn’t think of anything more pathetic than sitting at a table all alone while his husband was back doing god knows what with who knows who.

Nonetheless, he sat down and he scanned the menu. Something about the restaurant was vaguely familiar, but Jongin brushed off the feeling and he memorized his order, consisting of the most expensive things he could find. Luckily he’d had the right state of mind to grab Sehun’s wallet. He still couldn’t decide whether it was a good thing or not that he forgot his own I.D. at the hotel room. But if he knew anything about Sehun, it was that he was responsible enough to take care of Jongin’s stuff without throwing it out, especially if they were staying at a hotel full of his co-workers and business associates. If anything, the bastard would rent the room for another night for Jongin while he stayed out.

At that, Jongin scoffed,  _‘Right, like he has any choice but to stay now that I have his wallet.’_

“Good afternoon, my name is Kris and I’ll be your server for today, are you ready to order, sir?” A deep voice interrupted and Jongin looked up in surprise. He stared wide eyed at the familiar waiter and Kris did likewise, though he managed to school his expression back into one of feigned politeness. His eyes however, still pissed Jongin off.

“Well, if it isn’t the unfortunate  _waiter_  who was fired the other day,” Jongin purred smoothly. Kris looked disgusted, but Jongin could see the undercurrent of lust. He’d seen it the other day at the dinner after Sehun left, but Kris’ eyes still held disdain. Jongin didn’t care, he was tired of people assuming he was a slut when he wasn’t, but if that’s what they expected then he could play up to their perception of him.  _‘Might as well, it’s not like I have anything to lose anyhow, Sehun already thinks I sleep around behind his back. If my own husband doesn’t believe me, then no one else will.’_

“Seems we meet again, dancer. Does your husband know you’re out without your  _sponsor_?” Kris asked, his eyes darting to the ring still on Jongin’s left hand.

Smirking, Jongin looked up at the handsome waiter and he fluttered his eyelashes in a coy way. “Waiter, I will have the chef’s best Filet Mignon with the Crème Brule desert. I also want the most aged wine you have here.” He said rapidly. He would have ordered a full course meal, but Sehun killed him by not only chasing pretty, slim women, he also went after willow boys with feminine faces. In fact, everyone he brought to his bed was the opposite of Jongin, they all had blonde hair and pale skin, and eyes that had a round innocence to them. Jongin had only been able to pull that off in his youth, but now that he was a little more mature he assumed he symbolized sex more than anything else.

“Yes sir, will that be all?” Kris asked, his eyes narrowing faintly at Jongin for speaking a bit fast in a language he was still getting the hang of.

Jongin tilted his head and rested a finger on his lips, a mock pensive expression on his face. “Hmm…” He hummed, taking his time and counting down the seconds. Kris began to fidget around three minutes of silence and he knew that he was running the waiter’s patience thin. It gave him some satisfaction that someone else felt ready to lose their mind aside from him.

“Nope, I believe that will be all.” Jongin finally answered, taking glee in the angry set of Kris’ jaw. When feeling strong emotion, Jongin noticed that Kris’ eyes changed from a deep brown to a black that rivaled the night sky on the country side.

“Then if you’ll excuse me,” Kris said, bowing stiffly, “I’ll place your order right away.” He had no intention of doing so, yet Jongin didn’t know that. In fact, the man smiled at him triumphantly and sent him off with a condescending smile and a wave of his hand. ‘ _Tch!_   _Rich prostitute is lucky I need this job…_ ’ Kris thought in irritation as he stormed off to the back of the restaurant.

Smiling in genuine amusement, Jongin turned back to his table, but the emptiness of the other seat mocked him. Feeling his jovial mood fade away faster than he could even register it, he sighed and decided to look through Sehun’s wallet.

Not surprisingly, he had his I.D. and his credit cards neatly filed away. Flipping the leather contraption to its side, Jongin opened the wallet back up and inside the slit was a thick fan of cash. Whistling lowly, Jongin began counting the money for entertainment.

That only took up ten minutes of his time and neither his food nor his wine had made an appearance. Impatiently, Jongin flipped his husband’s leather wallet open and closed and he mumbled faint curses under his breath. That insolent waiter was taking forever on purpose! Jongin knew for a fact that the kitchen wasn’t too busy because the restaurant had yet to receive their dinner rush, and the few patrons who came in after he did were happily chatting away and eating.

Growling in frustration, Jongin flicked his wrist again, expecting the snap of the wallet shutting again, but instead the leather thing flew right out of his hand and fell to the floor behind his seat. Seething, Jongin stood up and crouched to reach it while ignoring the curious glances sent his way, but he paused when he saw something white flutter to the ground alongside the brown wallet.

Tentatively, Jongin picked up the piece of paper and he read the scrawling handwriting of his husband. It was a single line broken in two words.  _Lu Han_.

Feeling dread, Jongin took a shaky breath and he steeled his heart. There was nothing that Sehun could do now that would surprise Jongin, though he hoped that his instincts weren’t right and that Sehun hadn’t dropped so low...

 _‘One, two, three—!_ ’ Jongin flipped the photo and he wished he didn’t.

It was a simple picture, but it was a portrait of a face that Jongin knew well. It was the face of the Chinese dancer who stole his part after he helped him learn Korean. His old rival was the exact opposite of Jongin and the ex-dancer had to mentally congratulate his husband. He was low despite how high class he liked to pretend he was, and after two years of hurt, he managed to break Jongin’s heart again. Only this time, it felt like Sehun had ripped it to pieces, shredded it, and then returned it to him with a fucking  _smile_.

“Sir, are you okay?” A gruff voice asked and Jongin looked up to see Kris looking down at him without a scowl in place. He must have been teary because Kris did look kind of panicked and Jongin let a small, hiccupy laugh out. The look matched the one Sehun had when Jongin cried over his lost part.

With a smile on his lips, Jongin blinked away his tears before he could break out in sobs and he collected the wallet and the picture and he sat back in his chair. “I’m fine, more than fine in fact.” He said blankly.

His mind was in chaos and his heart was inwardly writhing in pain, but he laughed and he smirked back up at the waiter, not caring if he looked crazed. “ _Waiter_ , where is my wine? And my food? Is it a custom of this restaurant to keep paying customers waiting for longer than necessary?”

Any sympathy Kris had disappeared immediately and he bristled at the tone that Jongin used to address him. “No sir, I just came to tell you that your order will be ready within moments. The restaurant apologizes for the delay.”

Jongin waved him off again, his hand braced under his chin as his glazed out eyes stared at a blank spot on the wall across the room. “I don’t need useless apologies from anyone, much less a restaurant with shit service and disgruntled waiters.”

Kris nodded and despite how much he wanted to make Jongin eat his insults, he bowed politely and left the dining area again to vent to the chef, if he was lucky the old man would let him spit in the food before he served it to the prissy trophy wife sitting at a table in his area.

Hearing the waiter leave again, Jongin looked back down at the wallet and the picture set on the table next to it. Lu Han’s pretty face and sparkling, lively eyes cut him deep and the smile with perfect little white teeth had him feeling a pain that he couldn’t cover up with anger this time.

‘ _How long had this been in his wallet?’_  He asked himself, fighting off the tears in his eyes because he didn’t know that Sehun had gotten rid of the photo they took together on their first date and replaced it with  _him_. That single question had his mind letting a flood of more questions filling his mind and making it hard for himself to even think properly.

 

_‘When did it begin!?’_

 

_‘How didn’t I notice?’_

 

_‘Does he love him?’_

 

_‘Am I really that hard to be married to?’_

 

_‘Does he loathe me?’_

 

_‘Is it because he can’t stand me that he turned to a better alternative?’_

 

_‘Was this around the time he went on a business trip to Seoul after we married?’_

 

_‘He was gone for two long months.’_

 

_‘He doesn’t seek me out at night anymore.’_

 

_‘He likes delicate pretty things.’_

 

_‘I’m not like that! Why!?’_

 

_‘Why—?’_

 

A single tear slipped out while Jongin was thinking and he wiped it away quickly. ‘ _Why did I get married…’_

Jongin was pretty young when he got married, but Sehun was a year younger and it made him feel blessed that a young ambitious man who was obviously going places wanted him. Now, he felt old in comparison to his husband and the delicate little things he knew that Sehun took to bed.

Sighing, Jongin downed the glass of wine in one long swig. It was smooth and sweet, but the heady favor still had the burning quality of alcohol and that was all that Jongin needed at the moment. Forgetting his silent vow to cut back on drinking, Jongin flagged down a waiter who wasn’t Kris and he demanded an endless stream of drinks and by the time his food came by, he wasn’t hungry. That set his tall waiter off more than anything Jongin had pulled since he got to the restaurant.

“What do you mean you want me to take it back!?” He growled. Jongin blinked at him blearily and he let out a set of giggles. Kris looked ridiculous with his hands full of a large tray, a single plate set in the middle of it. It would have looked better if he just carried the plate, but as it was, the huge silver tray was held with both hands.

“Are you drunk right now?” Kris hissed and he looked flustered that a customer was laughing at him, but he slammed the tray and the order of Filet Mignon in front of Jongin.

“Yes!” Jongin answered with glazed eyes. “Feels gooood, No  _Sehunnie_  at all!” He hummed and he hugged the entire bottle of wine to his chest. The waiter relaying his drinks eventually got fed up and just gave him the entire bottle. Jongin had latched onto it and never let go since.

Kris groaned in frustration and he raked a hand through his thick dark hair. Why did he get stuck with the drunk patron in the middle of the evening?

“Why’s he so mean? Sehunnie, Jonginnie h-hatesss you!” Jongin whined and he hiccupped at the end and Kris panicked at the sight of tears glinting in the corner of his eyes.

 _‘What is with him? He cries so easily in public!_ ’ Kris thought to himself, wondering where the cold bitch with a spine made of steel went. The man sitting before him now was unbelievably childlike and dare he say it— _cute_.

“You—!” Jongin pointed at Kris suddenly, sitting up in his chair and getting up out of his slumped position. “Krissy, you _prissy_!” He glared for a few seconds before his words caught up with his mind and he began laughing.

Whispers reached Kris’ ears and he felt his face heat up. He didn’t dare to look at the other patrons, his pride had taken enough beatings lately and he didn’t feel like getting fired twice within the same week.

While Kris was mourning his fate, Jongin had moved on and was now playing with the expensive piece of meat he ordered. When the artful plating came undone, he giggled and stabbed the meat with his fork with a play growl and snarl on his lips that made him look like a puppy trying to emanate intimidation.

Mentally face palming, Kris reached for the bottle of wine held in Jongin’s grasp. Jongin let out a sharp gasp of surprise and he glared up at the waiter with a pout on his lips as he held onto the bottle tighter and angled his torso away from Kris’ hands.

“No! This Jonginnie’s, no share!” His face was scrunched up and his lips were stained red with wine and glossed over invitingly. Kris quickly averted his eyes and he felt the tips of his ears redden in embarrassment. He could feel the stares directed at him and he really didn’t want to make a scene, but it couldn’t be helped.

Reaching out for the wine again, Kris grasped the neck of the bottle and used all his strength to yank on it. It gave a bit, but Jongin wrapped both of his arms around it and he held on with a tight grip, his eyes shutting as well and his expression showing his determination. “Noo! NO SHARE!” He yelled and Kris cursed and yanked harder.

The bottle slipped out of Jongin’s arms, but when Kris began reeling back in surprise, Jongin stood up and snatched the taller man’s wrist and yanked back with all his weight.

Considering  the fact that he was inebriated and didn’t have the best balance at the moment, it was a bad call for Jongin to even stand up.

Time seemed to slow and Kris’ eyes widened in shock and horror and for a brief moment, Jongin sobered and they both felt the sensation of falling. Except instead of falling back on his ass alone, Kris was now hurtling toward Jongin and the only thing he could do was throw his limbs out to cushion his fall and not crush Jongin under him.

Pain radiated from Kris’ wrist and he felt something soft and warm under him, or more specifically, under his lips. His eyebrows furrowing, Kris shifted and he felt something move along his lips and his stomach. Opening his eyes, Kris saw pretty pools of wide brown, and he froze.

He was kissing Jongin and when he pulled away and regained his bearings, he realized that he was on top of Jongin, between his spread legs and pressing intimately close to the other’s hips. ‘ _Oh shit!’_

Jongin was dazed, but Kris watched in horror as awareness lightened his eyes. A flush then worked its way onto his cheeks and it spread down to his neck, dipping below the collar of his thin shirt. Touching his lips, Jongin blushed a darker red and he opened his mouth.

Kris expected anything, cursing and screaming, but he didn’t expect a soft gasp and the beginnings of tears.

However, all surprise was soon regained when Jongin suddenly growled and began beating at Kris' chest with small fists while screaming out pervert.

‘ _Damn it! There’s another fucking job!’_

 

~~♡~~

 

 

Sehun lounged in the chair of his hotel room. He was stuck there for another day because his wayward husband took off with his wallet. Luckily the hotel was gracious enough to wait for their payment, though they did have his credit card information so they probably already charged him by now.

But that wasn’t what had him scowling at nothing or glaring. It was Jongin’s last words that had him seething in controlled anger.  _“I’m not letting you touch me after you fucked some random whore! In fact, you **stink** , their perfume is giving me a headache.”_

The words echoed in his head and Sehun resisted the urge to slam his fist into the wall in fury. He could handle a husband who drank, someone who did nothing but stay at home, someone who even whored around behind his back, hell he even tolerated Jongin after he slapped him, but he wouldn’t allow the other man to think he was some kind of martyr in their relationship.

 _‘Fuck! I’m the one who should be out right now, not waiting at home like some useless housewife!_ ’ He thought indignantly as he raked a hand through his hair in rough frustration. Jongin acted as if _he_ were the one trapped in this marriage, as if _he_ were the one doing Sehun a favor by not leaving.

He used to think that Jongin was his world. Damn his reckless self for thinking that marrying the sexy dancer was a good idea, he should have made Jongin wait for  _him_.

 

 

~~♡~~

 

 

Waking up with a hangover seemed to be routine now, but what was new was the warmth surrounding Jongin. It was comforting and he unconsciously smiled and snuggled into his bed, expecting the sheets to shift smoothly along his skin and his head to sink into a luxurious pillow.

But instead of familiarity, a heavy grunt sounded above him and his bed shifted and he toppled to the floor in a heap. Cold stone broke his fall and Jongin let out a little shriek, his eyes flying open as he sat up and rubbed his aching butt.

‘ _Where am I?_ ’ He questioned blearily, scrubbing the sleep from his eyes. The room slowly came into focus and despite his distracting headache, Jongin knew that he wasn’t in his hotel room. There was no comfort in the place at all, his big bed was replaced with a hard wooden bench, the plush carpet was cold stone, and his pillow was a large hulking form that snored louder than a chainsaw.

Panicked, Jongin shifted though all his memories of last night. ‘ _Okay, I threw Sehun off, I went to a restaurant, I ordered food from the moody waiter, I ordered him around, and then I found out that Sehun’s a bastard as well as a man whore, and then I got drunk?’_

“ _Damn it_!” Jongin cursed, remembering his broken promise to not drink for a while. However, under the discovery that his husband was quite literally sleeping with the enemy, it was a justifiable exception.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongin hates asking for help, but it's necessary for him to rely on Sehun when annoying waiters are around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas/ Happy holidays! (=^▽^=)

Castaway the Heart Part II

 

  
Jongin sighed as he rested his face in his hands, his mind running straight back to Sehun, and Luhan. He didn’t understand how the war between him and his husband began, but he knew that somewhere along the way he began to feel less in love with Sehun and more resentful of him. It was what drove him to be the jaded man he was today, and Jongin wondered what he should do.

  
A loud clang interrupted his train of thought and Jongin raised his head to see a man in a uniform whistle as he walked down the hall, idly swinging a baton in his hands. Noticing that he was up and staring, the man abruptly stopped and glanced at Jongin. “Oh, I didn’t expect to see you up so early,” He said and despite his large eyes, full lips, and pretty light skin, his voice was velvety and deep.

  
Jongin flushed lightly in embarrassment and he hesitantly brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Uhm, this usually doesn’t happen to me so…may I ask where I am and what I’m doing here?” Jongin asked and as if the bubble of obliviousness surrounding him popped, the room came into focus. There were steel bars running vertically over the entrance of the room, the other three walls were made of cement and the cold floor was harsh stone. The bench he fell off was occupied by someone else and for a moment Jongin felt shivers of disgust run up and down his spine, _he was just sleeping on that wooden bench with a stranger!!_

  
The officer took off his cap and scratched his head, a wry smile making its way onto his lips when he took in the lost expression on Jongin’s face. “Well last night the owner of an upscale restaurant called my department to tell me that a drunken patron and a part-time waiter were wreaking havoc in his establishment.” With each word, memories flitted through Jongin’s mind and horror and shame overwhelmed him. Last night, he’d gotten unbelievably drunk, then he got in an argument with the help, and _that waiter_ touched him!

  
The officer smiled and the shape of his lips reminded Jongin of a vague heart. “You can imagine my surprise when I reached the scene early enough to see you standing on a table and throwing things at a waiter, both of you shouting at each other about…things.”

  
Mortified, Jongin buried his heated face in his hands and cursed everyone, Sehun and Luhan, Kris the prissy waiter, and most of all, his drunken self. ‘ _I am definitely taking a break from drinking!_ ’ He vowed again, though this time he was sure to take himself seriously, he was incarcerated after all. It’d be good to finally heed his own promises from now on.

  
A chuckle came from the officer and Jongin internally whined about his luck. The guy who saw him make a fool of himself just so happened to be attractive and Jongin really wished that they’d at least have met under different circumstances, preferably when Jongin was sober and on top of his game.

  
“Hey if it’s any comfort, you were at least compliant while being arrested,” The officer continued and Jongin dared to peek up at him. The man smirked and his innocent look was immediately replaced with a devious one that made Jongin shiver. “And honestly I didn’t mind being called _Officer Do Me_ by someone like you.” A quick look at the name tag embroidered on his chest revealed his last name as Do.

  
“Oh my god!” Jongin exclaimed, “I’m so sorry!” He felt so flustered and he was sure that he was blushing hard enough to rival a tomato at this point. It was bad enough that he made a fool of himself, but he actually hit on the officer arresting him!?

  
Seeing the red hue of Jongin’s cheeks and the cute expression on his face, Officer Do broke out into loud laughter. Jongin felt like burying himself alive wouldn’t be enough to hide from his embarrassment.

  
“Argh, Shut up!” The man on the bench shouted, sitting upright and using his hands to block the bright light coming from the hallway and the barred cell window. His black hair stuck up at odd angles and little scratches littered his hands and arms. A ring of faint blue bruises decorated his wrists and Jongin wondered what the man did to warrant them.

  
“I was trying to sleep,” The man grumbled and when he finally removed his large hands from his face, Jongin froze.

  
“ _You_ ,” He said, narrowing his eyes at the waiter with the irksome eyes.

  
Kris paused and he turned to face Jongin with a carefully blank expression. “Well it seems the _inebriated princess_ from last night has finally decided to sober up.”

  
Bristling at his words, Jongin glared at the Kris. “The same could be said about the molester who preys on unsuspecting customers. Tell me, did you _enjoy_ touching me without permission?”

  
Kris swung his long legs off the bench and he clenched his hands into fists at his side. “Don’t call me that! You were the one who grabbed me, I’d bet you were probably just looking for someone to drag you off to a random bed.” He sneered down at Jongin and his angry black eyes seemed to be judging Jongin even now, when they were both at their lowest in a jail cell.

  
Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, Jongin spat out his next words. “I didn’t invite you to touch me!” Kris scoffed and Jongin felt anger coil up in his chest.

  
“Excuse me,” Officer Do interrupted, his mouth set in a grim line as he stared down Kris. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to keep your tone down, I will not hesitate to place you in solitary confinement if you do not calm down.” The vague threat and the way Officer Do stood with his shoulders back and his hands placed subtly at his belt didn’t go unnoticed by Jongin.

  
Kris huffed and stood up, not backing down from the shorter male even if he was at a disadvantage. “You can’t remove me from this holding cell unless I am actively convicted of a crime and therefore, incarcerated for longer than twenty-four hours.” Meeting Officer Do’s eyes, Kris raised an eyebrow in a condescending manner and he sounded so _sure_ , it was almost smug. “And I haven’t threatened or physically harmed anyone, so you can’t place me in a separate cell either.”

  
Jongin’s eyes darted from Kris to Officer Do and he wondered who would back down.

  
A staticky noise coming from Officer Do’s waist interrupted the tense room and Jongin breathed a sigh of relief when both he and Kris backed away. Things would be fine, for now he guessed.

  
Officer Do removed the walkie talkie at his side and switched it off, putting it back into place before he looked back up at Kris. “You seem like someone who knows the law,” He said slowly, his eyes steely and calm as he spoke. “So you should be well aware that resisting an arrest if enough to issue a warrant in some states.”

  
“Not in this state.” Kris didn’t even hesitate in responding.

  
Officer Do let out an amused laugh that sounded more like a huff, “Just keep in mind that you’re still behind bars.” With one last stare, he looked at Jongin and his face softened somewhat, his dark eyes warming just the lightest at the sight of the still crouching figure.

  
“Jongin,” He called and said male jumped a little in surprise. He wasn’t aware that he gave the officer his name, then again he wasn’t aware of many things he did the night before. “I can’t assist you leaving, aside from allowing you the use of our phone to call someone of course.”

  
Jongin jumped to his feet and made his way to the cell door eagerly. “It’s fine Mr. Do, a phone call is all I need.”

  
The officer smiled again and his lips formed a pretty shape again. “Please, call me Kyungsoo.”

  
Kris grumbled something under his breath that Jongin pretended not to hear, though he soon cleared his throat and called after Kyungsoo and Jongin. “Hey! I’m entitled to a phone call as well!”

  
“Sorry sir, the phones will be occupied for quite some time,” Kyungsoo didn’t even spare him a glance as he replied. “You’ll just have to wait your turn.”

  
As they walked further into the hall, Kris’ dark mutterings faded and Jongin giggled, jostling the hand that Kyungsoo placed on the small of his back.

  
Casting the taller male an amused glance, Kyungsoo asked what he found so amusing.

  
“It’s just, I didn’t expect a waiter to talk like a lawyer.” Jongin said, a small smile forming on his lips. When he was younger, his dad wanted him to become a lawyer or a doctor, but when he expressed an interest in dance, the older man took out a loan and enrolled him in ballet classes. ‘ _I wonder how he and mom are doing, I should call them later.’_

  
Kyungsoo chuckled as they came to a stop in front of an office. He let his hand slip from Jongin’s side and he opened the door, holding it open for Jongin and gestured for Jongin to go ahead. The action reminded him of young Sehun, who did the same on their first date with a nervous expression on and a proud gleam in his eyes when Jongin thanked him.

  
Fighting back a scowl, Jongin brushed past Kyungsoo with a muttered thanks and entered the office. He immediately honed in on the single phone in the room and Jongin bit back a laugh. The police department must not receive a lot of funding if it had a landline phone that Jongin hadn’t seen since he was a teen placed on the desk.

  
“Ah, sorry about this dinosaur, the department is slow on getting things up to date.” Kyungsoo said sheepishly, “Just use it to call whoever can post bail, I’ll finish my rounds and leave you to it.”

  
Jongin nodded and Kyungsoo slipped out to the hall again, softly shutting the door behind him.

  
With a sigh, Jongin took the liberty of slumping in the desk chair and resting his head in his arms. He’s more than used to waking up with a hangover, but he dreaded the headache he would receive calling Sehun now. Before Jongin’s drinking had never gotten him into real trouble, he was always composed enough to come home and pass out before anything could happen, but there’s a first for everything.

  
Steeling his resolve, Jongin sat up and grabbed the plastic handle of the phone, bringing the clunky device to rest between his ear and shoulder while he pressed in the numbers he memorized long ago.

  
The phone began ringing and Jongin lightly drummed his fingers on the desk in nervousness. There was a 50/50 chance that Sehun would leave him in jail just to spite him for last night. Still, it wasn’t like Jongin had any other choices, the few friends he had were back in Los Angeles.

  
“ _Hello?”_ Sehun answered politely, his tone fitting into his formal business image. Figures that Sehun would be one hundred percent ready for work bright and early.

  
“Sehun, It’s me.” Jongin couldn’t think of any other way to express himself, but he figured Sehun would recognize the voice of his husband. In fact, he better after nine years of being together.

  
“ _Jongin? Why the hell are you calling me from an unknown number?”_ The suspicion in his tone was so heavy that Jongin could have mistaken it for jealousy. As it were, Jongin merely rolled his eyes and ignored the familiar accusation.

  
“Relax, even if I was fucking around, I wouldn’t call you from some random hookup’s phone.” Jongin replied snidely, he really couldn’t resist the subtle jab. Sehun had once pulled something like this, the only problem being that he asked for freshly ironed and washed work clothes be delivered to him at his conquest’s house. It did not end well to say the least.

  
“ _What do you want? I’m busy._ ” Sehun said, deliberately ignoring what Jongin implied. _“If you called just to—”_

  
“I need you to post bail for me.” Jongin said in a rush before Sehun could hang up. It was not a subtle approach for asking for money, or a favor in general, but Sehun would most likely understand his bluntness.

  
“… _What?”_ Sehun asked and he sounded equally shocked and unsurprised. The realization that he half expected for something like this to happen had Jongin frowning and internally seething.

  
“I said I need you to bail me out of jail. It’s the least a husband can do for his spouse.” Through good and bad as they say when one gets married. But Jongin hated asking for help in any form, and this definitely counted as one in his mind.

  
“ _Why should I help you? You have my wallet, bail yourself out.”_ Sehun’s answer wasn’t completely unexpected, but Jongin felt angry and hurt, and plain annoyed all the same.

  
“Despite what you like to think of yourself, you don’t carry much cash for someone who’s paychecks average in the six figure range.” Jongin had already gone through Sehun’s wallet and counted his money, as well as encountered something he never wanted to see again from his past.

  
“… _How about this, I’ll bail you out, but only if you go on the cruise with me. Mr. Monroe was very adamant that you come.”_

  
Jongin internally groaned. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck on a cruise ship for four weeks with Sehun and his pervert of a boss. But he was caught in a bind, if he said no to Sehun, he’d lose his promotion and the man would probably throw him out. Yet if he said yes, he’d be in for a month of patience trying arguments and stupid games.

  
‘ _How pathetic is it that I have to barter with my husband for him to bail me out?’_ Jongin thought bitterly as he grudgingly made a choice.

  
“Fine! I’ll go with you, but as soon as we get back—”

  
As if he had a sixth sense, Sehun hung up and Jongin was left with the dead dial tone beeping incessantly in his ear. The words he almost said rang in his ears and Jongin was once again left with a what if.

 

 

  
~~♡~~

 

 

Waiting for Sehun in the lobby of the police station was unnerving. Thoughts of last night and this morning ran through Jongin’s head and he found himself worrying. He’d only asked Sehun to bail him out, he didn’t ask him to come pick him up, or bring him a spare set of clothes, hell even food would be nice.

  
“Jongin? Is everything alright?” Kyungsoo asked from his seat in the receptionist’s desk. Despite the small size of the police department, Jongin was surprised to find that Kyungsoo was the only one on duty at the moment.

  
“Yes, I’m fine.” Jongin answered breezily, waving his hand in a placating manner at Kyungsoo even as his leg kept bouncing in place and a frown remained on his lips. He couldn’t help but feel worried, it has been quite some time since Sheun had answered his call and Kyungsoo had yet to tell him that he was free to leave. Worry was all he could do for now.

  
Unnoticed by Jongin, Kyungsoo had stood up and was walking toward him. “Jongin,” He called again and this time when the brunette looked at him, he jumped in surprise at his proximity. “If the person you called doesn’t come through, I could always pay your bail for you.” He offered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as a tiny flush worked its way onto the high of his cheek bones.

  
Surprised and a little touched that Kyungsoo would go so far for him, Jongin stared and then quickly shook his head. “N-no, I couldn’t allow you to do that. My husband Sehun has more than enough money to spare.”

  
Kyungsoo blinked. “Husband?” He asked in surprise, his eyes falling to Jongin’s ring finger only to see a thin gold band with an inlaid diamond. “Oh, right.” He said and it may have been his imagination, but Kyungsoo seemed a little disappointed at the admission.

  
Jongin smiled at him, the first genuine one he’d given in years, “Thank you anyway Kyungsoo.”

  
The officer nodded and opened his mouth to say more, but the doors to the station flew open and a tall man with an impassive face strode in.

  
“Well Jongin, it seems being a jailbird suites your tendencies to flirt just fine.” Sehun drawled, his face unreadable, but the subtle darkening of his eyes and the tightening of his jaw gave him away. The way his eyes honed in on Kyungsoo and Jongin wasn’t discreet at all, and with a slight cough, Kyungsoo stepped back.

  
Jongin glared at his husband and stood up, “Sehun, you know that I’ve done _nothing,_ yet no matter how many times I repeat myself, nothing ever gets through that unbelievably thick skull of yours.” With that said, he purposely brushed shoulders with Sehun as he passed him on his way to the doors.

  
Sehun didn’t bother saying anything else, though he did turn to Kyungsoo and inclined his head a bit in a mockery of a bow. “Officer Do.”

  
Kyungsoo lightly tipped his hat back. “Sehun.”

  
Sehun raised a brow and shot a glance at Jongin before he faced the officer again, a slight tilt to the corner of his lips. “It’s unfortunate that we had to meet in these circumstances. Let’s hope there will be a better one next time?”

  
Kyungsoo didn’t reply and Sehun didn’t wait for a response, Jongin was already in the chauffeured car and by the noises blaring from the horn, he’d coerced the driver into honking obnoxiously in an effort to rush Sehun.

  
Once they were both gone, Kyungsoo sighed and took off his hat to ruffle his short black hair. Jongin and Sehun certainly weren’t like any other married couple that came to the station.

  
Faint shouting reached his ears and Kyungsoo sighed as he put his hat on and checked that the keys to the cells within the place were secured to his belt. ‘ _Too bad he was taken_.’ He thought idly, breaking into a familiar whistled tune as he walked back into the hall and braced himself for what surely would be an unpleasant encounter with Kris.

 

  
~~♡~~

 

  
Jongin could tell that Sehun was seething. Usually he would remain stoic and unreadable, but after years of being together, Jongin had learned to read Sehun when his guard was down. Now was such a moment.

  
“You know, of all the troubles you’ve had last night, why make them worse by deliberately seducing the one officer on duty?” Sehun asked, the unwarranted barb making Jongin confused and angered at the same time.

  
“What the hell are you on about now!? Kyungsoo was just—”

  
“I see you two are close.” Sehun interrupted, turning away from the window long enough to send Jongin a scathing glare. “Honestly I shouldn’t be surprised by your behavior anymore.”

  
Jongin clenched his fists at his side and he resisted giving into the urge to hit Sehun again, there was no telling how far the man would bend before he snapped. “I am not some dog you have to train! I’m your husband and your equal.” Actually, Jongin considered himself above Sehun, not because of money or his status in life, but because he never once broke his vows.

  
Sehun scoffed and he crossed his arms, his frown deepening into a sneer. “I see no equal here.”

  
‘ _Oh this man!’_ Jongin thought scathingly, closing his eyes long enough to take a deep breath. “Why the hell are you asking anyway? What does it matter what I do, when you see no problem doing the same things you accuse me of!”

  
Sehun didn’t flinch or even blink at the blatant acknowledgement of his infidelity. “These are not baseless accusations, I’ve _seen_ you cavort with anyone who so much as glances in your direction.”

  
“If you aren’t willing to listen, I have nothing to say to you,” Jongin growled, turning away from Sehun to glare out the window of the car.

  
Sehun fell silent as well, though Jongin could still feel the weight of his eyes on his form. Jongin ignored him.

  
Outside the car window, the city sped past and various pedestrians walked leisurely down the street, the morning buzz yet to set in. A smiling woman, a laughing man, and a beaming child came into view and Jongin wondered why they had to stop at a red light right when a family chose to blatantly rub their happiness in his face. They made it look so easy to be happy and Jongin’s masochistic mind once again wandered to Sehun and more of his broken promises.

 

  
_The light played beautifully across pale skin, making it gleam and shine in the bright dawn and Jongin gave in to the urge to touch. His own skin was a darker gold, and he thought the colors complimented one another. With another brush of his hand, his new ring glinted in the sunlight and Jongin paused to stare at it, a feeling of deep warmth coiling in his chest and making his heart feel so full, so fulfilled._

  
_Sehun had proposed to him, the same one who had shyly asked if he could hold his hand the night before, was the same one who then grinned mischievously and placed a ring on his finger. Surprised, Jongin could do no more than stare at the golden band in awe._

  
_“Now you’re mine forever, Oh Jongin.” Sehun said and Jongin couldn’t resist grabbing him and drawing him down for a deep kiss, tears of joy mixing in with the taste of their lips, but never detracting from the moment._

  
_A butterfly kiss placed on his nose drew Jongin back to the moment, and he saw Sehun smiling at him, his sleepy face soft in the morning light. “Hey, why are you thinking so hard so early in the morning, Mr. Oh?”_

  
_The new surname had Jongin coloring slightly, even as he let out a breathless laugh. “How long are you gonna call me that?”_

  
_Sehun grinned and it was so boyish that in that moment, he looked his age, young and carefree and so achingly handsome. “As long as forever lasts.” He replied, shifting around and propping his arm under his head so that he could peer down at Jongin with warm eyes. He once confessed that he liked looking at Jongin from this angle, something about how the light played with his features and made him look ethereal._

  
_“You’re such a cliché,” Jongin said, smiling cheekily and flicking his fiancé on the forehead._

  
_“You wound me.” Sheun fake pouted and he fell back onto the bed before rubbing his forehead in mock pain._

  
_“Whatever you cheesy idiot.”_

  
_“Methinks the lady doth protest too much!” Sehun quoted dramatically, clutching his beating heart._

  
_Jongin groaned. “Please, no more! I can’t take you seriously if you keep grossing me out!” He whined, rolling over and covering his eyes._

  
_Sehun laughed behind him and Jongin smiled when a long, strong arm wound around his waist, bare skin pressing on bare skin and shifting the mood from comfortable and light hearted to something more romantic and sensual. “Your mouth says no, but your body says yes.” Sehun crooned in Jongin’s ear and the line was so overused that Jongin was tempted to roll his eyes, but something about the sensitive spot behind his ear and the moist heat of Sehun’s words pressing against his skin made it difficult to think of anything else._

  
_As if following his train of thought, Sehun’s other hand drifted under the sheet to lightly grip his bare hip and squeeze the soft flesh. “Hey, you think if we do this again, I’ll put a baby in you?” He asked and Jongin’s eyes flew open, the moment ruined._

  
_“Oh my god! Sehun!” He groaned, burying his face in the sheets and screaming in light frustration._

  
_Sehun laughed some more and Jongin pouted. “It’s not funny!”_

  
_Leaning over Jongin and draping his lankier body over his, Sehun spoke muffled words in his new fiancé’s neck. “We can, if you want. Have kids I mean.”_

  
_Jongin resurfaced from the pillow and he gave Sehun a deadpan stare. “You know I’m a man right? I can’t get pregnant.”_

  
_Sehun smirked and he opened his mouth to say more but Jongin interrupted._

  
_“No matter how much you think your sperm is superhuman.”_

  
_“You weren’t complaining earlier.” Sehun deflated and he huffed. “And I meant adoption.”_

  
_Jongin hummed in mock contemplation, but his mind and heart were already imagining a future of him, Sehun, a big house, a dog, and a little girl or boy who looked like him and Sehun running around and making trouble. It was something he wanted, very much._

  
_“Hello, earth to Mr. Oh! Your future husband wants to know if the kid ten years from now is yours.” Sehun said in a mock intercom voice, his eyes so light and his smile so wide that it turned his eyes into little twin shaped crescents._

  
_Jongin blushed and smacked him in the face with the pillow. “You cheeky brat! You know the answer is yes!”_

  
_Sehun shoved the pillow away and he pounced on Jongin, making him squeak at the sudden action. “That’s all I wanted to hear.”_

  
_“Now let’s make that baby—Ow!”_

 

  
The sound of the car door opening snapped Jongin out of the memory and he looked up to see Sehun already slamming the car door shut behind him.

  
‘ _Of course, this is my reality now, that was just a dream._ ’ Jongin reminded himself, though it was hard to accept this time around and he could feel the telltale burning behind his eyes, accompanied by the staking of his heart.

  
‘ _Why did I get married? Because I’m a gullible fool.’_

 

 

~~♡~~

 

 

The stars were laid out before him in a beautiful, infinite pattern and Jongin would appreciate the beauty of the night, but he was kind of pissed at God for making him suffer so much lately. Said reason for hating the creator was seated next to him, a charming smile plastered on his lips as he chatted up the new flight attendant, a boy who looked barely legal with his wide eyes and chubby cheeks.

  
Jongin’s lone saving grace was the fact that _Kim_ (oh the irony) Minseok kept coming back to serve him drinks, only Jongin knew that it was a ploy to see his husband and flirt with him. In front of him no less.

  
‘ _And here I thought that Sehun could not get anymore shameless after hitting up Luhan.’_ Jongin downed a long gulp of vodka and he relished the burn it made on its way to his stomach, and by extension, his blood stream. A coy giggle reached his ears and Jongin felt the strong urge to gag and shudder in disgust. But he resisted, that’d just be a waste of perfectly good liquor, and though Sehun could afford it, Jongin really didn’t want to drink another bottle to get drunk. His old self was a lightweight, and the thought of the naïve Jongin had the current Jongin taking another swig of the vodka bottle set before him.

  
Jongin caught movement in the corner of his eyes, and he knew he shouldn’t, but his body was already turning before he could think of the consequences to his actions. Sehun was leaning into the aisle, his hand raised and his eyes focused on the other Kim, his lips dangerously close to the boy’s ear as he whispered things that Jongin could barely make out over the sound of air pushing against the airplane.

  
He did catch a few words though.

  
“ _So_ cute…Leave….me?...mile high—”

  
That was it, Jongin’s patience snapped and he slammed is vodka bottle on the tray placed in front of him, half eaten food he genuinely thought would keep him from drinking displaced by the bottle with the blue grey geese flying on the label.

  
Both Sehun and the other Kim looked at him, but Jongin ignored his husband and looked up at the short flight attendant. “Boy, if you’re going to stoop low enough to fuck someone else’s husband, please remember to do so when their spouse is _not sitting right next to them.”_ He used his left hand to push a lock of hair out of his flushed face and the other Kim’s pretty eyes widened at the sight of the gold band and the little sparkly diamond.

  
Other people heard Jongin’s loud tone and began casting judging looks at the flight attendant and Sehun, whispers reaching their ears.

  
“Husband?”

  
“Oh how shameless!”

  
“Little tramp, I knew flight attendants weren’t to be trusted.”

  
“He’s too good for that pasty vampire.”

  
“Hey boy, I’m not married!”

  
“What a heartless man.”

  
“This is like that one drama-”

  
“So he gets half of everything.”

  
“There goes the peace and quiet.”

  
“Damn, that’s cold, wish I had the balls to do that.”

  
“With a man like that, I’d drink too!”

  
Sehun’s face was a light pink and the flight attendant was a flaming red. And much to Jongin’s surprise, the other Kim turned to Sehun with narrowed eyes and a scowl on his previously smiling lips. “You asshole!” He shouted and the sound of a palm connecting with skin rang in the airplane, a few cheers breaking in after the initial shock of the hit.

  
“Woo! You go girl!”

  
“Serves him right.”

  
“Oh, that’s gonna leave a mark.”

  
“Hey, the kitten’s got teeth.”

  
“Is the cat fight next? I bet on the DILF.”

  
“Shut UP! Mind you own fucking business!” Sehun shouted and the entire plane got quiet as everyone shot him dirty looks and grumbled under their breath, finally going back to minding their own lives.

  
Appraising the new Kim with different eyes, Jongin gave him a subtle nod as he picked up the vodka bottle and downed another gulp. The silent cheer was not lost on the flight attendant, who huffed and stalked off in short angry steps down the aisle. The curtain in front of the service station was held open by another flight attendant, allowing the entire staff to watch the exchange. The other Kim must have been making a hell of a face because the other workers squeaked, shut the curtain, and frantically scrambled back into place.

  
Sehun was glaring at Jongin by the time he looked back and the slightly tipsy male smirked at him. “Oops, I ruined your night.” At the expression on his usually impassive husband’s face, Jongin giggled outright, not bothering to hide his mirth even as people began sending them questioning glances again.

  
“What’s so funny Jongin? Do you enjoy making a scene?” Sehun growled, his livid eyes boring into Jongin’s hard enough to make him think the other man was considering homicide.

  
Jongin shrugged and he stifled another giggle. “His surname is the same as mine, are you chasing my ghost?”

  
Sehun’s eyes widened, but he soon scoffed at Jongin and gave him a slow once over, his eyes judging his husband and finding him absolutely lacking. “If by ghost you mean better looking version of you, then yes.”

  
The jab stung, Sehun knew about his issues with his personal image, but he was just drunk enough to shake it off. “Too bad, this DILF was getting horny enough to consider bedding his husband _and_ the flight attendant.”

  
Sehun’s face twisted comically and Jongin relished giving him hell, letting him taste his own medicine for once.

  
Sehun must have said something else, but Jongin was already gazing at the bottom of a bottle, the familiar burn of alcohol enough of a distraction from the cracking and bleeding of his long broken heart.

  
The rest of the flight passed in a blur of drinking and glaring at Sehun and occasionally shouting at him, but when the plane finally landed, Jongin breathed a sigh of relief.

  
Predictably, Sehun didn’t bother waiting for him as he stood up and grabbed his bags, using his long legs to stride down the aisle gracefully, despite a few efforts form other patrons to trip him.

  
Watching him leave with a slow blink, Jongin got up to follow, grabbing his own travel bag and dreading the upcoming battle with the stairs. He really didn’t have the best coordination while inebriated, and he was close to blacking out.

  
But he grit his teeth and bore with it. Thankfully, it wasn’t a long walk from the plane to the luggage gathering area. Sehun was predictably nowhere in sight, though Jongin assumed that Sehun would wait for him.

  
And when Jongin did manage to drag his stuff outside, he was not surprised to see Sehun already waiting in a rental car, the engine purring quietly and the trunk popping open as he drew nearer. Fighting a scoff, Jongin shoved his thing in the trunk and circled the car to passenger’s seat.

  
He was barely buckled in when Sehun stomped on the accelerator, causing the car to shoot forward out of the airport loading zone in the direction of the home. Jongin noticed that Sehun’s knuckles were clenching the steering wheel hard enough to turn his knuckles white, the veins in his forearms popping out along with the tense muscles in his neck.

  
Jongin wanted to say something, to ease the tension in the car enough that he could sleep the entire car ride to the outer suburbs of Los Angeles, but he kept his mouth shut and turned to the window, finding escape once again the blurring lights of the streets and the noise of the few pedestrians out and about.

  
“You know, I’m tired of this entire charade.” Sehun finally said, breaking the silence suddenly enough to startle Jongin into looking at him.

  
“You just realized that now?” Jongin finally settled for asking, proud that the cold air outside was enough to sober him up at least enough to snark Sehun.

  
Glaring at the road, Sehun stepped on the gas a little harder, “I have been feeling this way for more than quite some time Jongin, don’t patronize me.”

  
Jongin snorted and settled for looking back out at the fading street lights of the city. “I wouldn’t have to if you allowed me the same dignity of a civil conversation.” He can barely talk to his husband without feeling all the anger, the resentment, the pain to resurface. The swirl of coiling emotions made him want to lash out and hurt Sehun just as much as he hurt him, and the lanky male’s impatience and contempt with him didn’t help his temper either. At this point in their marriage, they were more like gasoline and fire than anything else, and at times Jongin feared that one of them would lose control and spark something that would leave them both devastated.

  
“…Jongin—” Sehun cut himself off and he took a deep breath, though he didn’t face Jongin and the latter didn’t bother to look away from the window of the car. “Tomorrow, I have to tie up some loose ends at work. We leave from here and head off to the pacific for the cruise in two weeks. It’s best to have everything packed before then.” He finally settled for saying, stopping at a red light that took longer than usual to change.

  
An unknown feeling, worry? Anger? Disappointment? Swirled within Jongin, but the brunette hid it well and he merely hummed in agreement with his estranged husband. “I’ll have the staff see to it when we arrive home.” Now they would go home, to their near château in their prim and perfect neighborhood, where they would pretend to be the golden, progressive couple their community seemed intent on accepting and simultaneously showing off to the surrounding area. Yet some things can only be hidden for so long before the lies pile up and Jongin and Sehun crumple under its weight, buried alive and never to find the light of day again.

  
Just as any dangerous snake, the things left unsaid and unacknowledged between them lay coiled up and ready to strike at any moment and both Sehun and Jongin felt stifled.

  
_Suffocated._

 

 

~~♡~~

 

 

 _The Red Ambition_ was beautiful. The resplendent interior of the ship was fit for the high class employees aboard the cruise and Jongin found that instead of being as gaudy as he expected, rich colors blended seamlessly with neutral tones into the décor and the furniture consisted entirely of classic dark cherry wood. The dining area was pleasant and Jongin for once didn’t mind being paraded around on Sehun’s arm on their way to their reserved table.

  
“ _Please act cordially_.” Sehun whispered, tightening his hold around Jongin’s waist in brief warning before leaving is side and arranging himself in his seat. Chivalry had apparently died and gone straight to the fiery pits of Hell with Sehun.

  
Jongin sighed and put on a tight smile, even if he wanted to do something childish like make a scene just to spite Sehun for being so haughty with him. As it were, Jongin pulled out his own chair and sat stiffly next to Sehun, waiting for the formal brunch to begin.

  
When Jongin had asked why he was required to attend even though he wasn’t an employee, Sehun had merely given him a _look_ and adjusted the cuff of his suit jacket before putting on his diamond cuff links. “If anyone wanting to see you had a reason, I wouldn’t know it.” He had said and Jongin bit his tongue and sat on his hands in an effort not to lash out at Sehun with another slap and an insult. The tall male would probably find a way to dump him off the ship and continue on to Africa without him.

  
“Ah, Jongin, such a delight to see you again,” A sleazy voice crooned and Jongin flinched when a wide hand landed on his shoulder.

  
Turning around, Jongin saw John, the man dressed up like an overstuffed peacock with an array of glinting jewelry and a pristine navy suit. His bone blonde hair was slicked back and his pale blue orbs eyed Jongin in an obvious leer.

  
Shaking off his disgust, Jongin smiled at the man and inclined his head, an apology on poised on his lips for his behavior back in the northeast. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of himself, he was an adult who was damn well conscious of his actions, but Sehun had insisted and if Jongin wanted any semblance of peace on this cruise, he had to cater to Sehun’s whims. At least where his job was concerned.

  
But John waved off his apology as he pulled out his own chair and sat next to Jongin, even going as far as scooting just a bit closer to him, much to Jongin’s discomfort.

  
“I quite enjoyed the little performance you put on for us on stage,” he said with a smile that brought out the little crow’s feet around is eyes. He was probably handsome, a long, long, long time ago. He’d not aged well if the distortion of his figure was anything to go by, but then Jongin was merely picky about looks since he felt his own were not up to the conventional beauty standards of Sehun, at least not any more.

  
“—And this may be too forward of me, but I would like to ask for a repeat performance.” John said and Jongin vaguely caught onto the last sentence of his apparent speech.

  
“Excuse me?” Jongin asked with a blink.

  
John didn’t hesitate to lean closer, bringing his arm up to rest on the back of Jongin’s chair. He probably thought the barest hint of closeness was enticing and tantalizing, but with him it seemed more predatory and unnerving. “I would like a repeat performance of your dancing, preferably in a more, _enclosed_ setting.”

  
Freezing in shock, Jongin shot Sehun a pleading look, his expression close to falling from feigned politeness to one of abject disgust and horror. Mr. Monroe did not just proposition him for sex, did he?

  
Sehun’s face remained impassive, but Jongin saw his Adam’s apple bob in an uncharacteristic show of nervousness. “ _Ahem_ ,” He fake coughed politely, scooting closer to Jongin and actually taking his left hand in his and placing their joined hands on the table. “Jongin would like to decline, he recently acquired a waist injury in strenuous, _private_ activity.”

  
Their wedding rings glinted in the light of the bright lamps set on the tables and Jongin had to dig his nails into his thigh with his right hand to stop his heart from giving a hopeful thump, Sehun was certainly acting strange at the moment, but he at least wasn’t enough of a bastard to throw him to his boss for a promotion.

  
Mr. Monroe raised a brow at the show of dominance and subtle hint of sex so early in the morning, and his eyes caught on their matching rings but he didn’t really acknowledge them. “Well, that’s unfortunate.” He hummed, leaning away from Jongin and finally giving him room to breathe, though he did grin at the pair salaciously. “I can’t say I was expecting to be denied, though assumptions are said to be dangerous.”

  
Jongin clenched his teeth at the reminder that the last time he was with Mr. Monroe, the man had seen Sehun wander off with a random woman, leaving his husband alone for the night.

  
As if sensing the common train of thought, Sehun squeezed Jongin’s hand once and then let go, deflating back into his calm and cold persona. “Assumptions are very dangerous.” Sehun agreed as he me John’s pale blue eyes head on and refused to look away.

  
The atmosphere was alive with a tense coil of energy, veiled with only a thin casing of good manners and professionalism. It was uncomfortable to say the least and Jongin shifted in his seat, desperately wishing that he could have a drink so that his painful awareness of the situation would dissipate behind a blissful buzz. Alcohol would also erase the little tingles left in his hand and his heart from Sehun’s rare protective side. It was conflicting with what he knew of the current Sehun, but it was slightly pleasing to know that the man cared a sufficient amount about his husband, at least enough to defy his boss and possibly jeopardize a promotion.

  
Sighing inaudibly, Jongin looked at his hands, twisting in his lap. The tiny diamond on his ring caught the light, a little spark in the artificial light of the dining area, but Jongin thumbed the stone and played with it for a bit. _‘I still hate this thing_ ,’ He thought, Biting his lip and twisting the ring on his finger so that the diamond disappeared behind his finger and then reappeared again with a flick of his fingers. ‘ _But it’s not as unbearable as it used to be.’_ The diamond seemed to wink at him and the memory behind the stone brought back a gentle warmth in Jongin. Almost as if unbidden, a frail smile appeared on his lips and he felt lighter than he ever did in years, even the craving for something to drink was vanquished. Though he wouldn’t protest to a little sip right now.

 

 

~~♡~~

 

 

Once the whole brunch affair was over, Jongin was left to his own devices for a while. Sehun had run off as soon as John was gone, probably to hole up somewhere he could work in peace, or fuck around if Jongin was right.

  
Shaking away the unpleasant thought, Jongin aimlessly wandered the halls of the cruise ship and was pleased to note that there were various activity and recreational rooms on board. On the northern edge of the ship, under the sea board, there was a small spa and a connected sauna. Jongin considered going there, but he did not feel in the mood to talk to anyone. So he continued on and eventually found himself in a small tea room, floor to ceiling bookcases decorating the walls.

  
The afternoon light shone off each window on the cased bookshelves and Jongin grinned in pleasant delight as he took in the sight. He hadn’t really read anything substantial since college, but now that he was free and not downing in a bottle at home, he decided to give the books a look through. His favorite author must have progressed and published more books since he last left off.

  
Time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye and Jongin found himself blinking in the window seat of the tearoom sleepily. ‘ _I wonder if Sehun is back in the room yet?’_ Jongin thought idly, then he scowled and shook his head. Despite being married to the man, he didn’t have to think of Sehun all the time, yet his traitorous mind liked to run take his name and run with it.

  
Shutting the book he’d been enjoying, a little fantasy with dragons and knights, but no princesses or evil queens, it was actually quite a comedic adventure and Jongin was surprised that his cheeks were sore form smiling so much while reading. Thumbing through the pages of the book, Jongin mentally memorized the age he left on and shut the book. His elementary school librarian would be proud, he had reigned in his habit of dog-earing the pages of countless helpless books.

  
Jongin stood up and tucked the book under his arm, humming lightly to himself as he made his way back into the hall.

  
However before he could take more than a few steps, a loud voice called out to him and the sound of feet hitting the plush carpeting of the hall had Jongin pausing.

  
“Sir, please wait!” A man rushed down the hall, his dark hair falling into his eyes and Jongin felt as if a bucket of cold water were splashed in his face. “You can’t take that—”

  
The man stopped running and he stopped a foot away from Jongin, his usual dark brown eyes wide with shock before they spilled into narrowed anger. “What the hell are you doing here!?” His thick eyebrows looked fierce some when downturned, and pared with the twist of his lips, Jongin thought that the man looked close to spitting fire and hot ash.

  
 _‘He looks like a dragon_.’ Jongin thought and the male had to stifle a giggle at the absurd comparison. Smiling sardonically, Jongin lifted his left hand and wriggled his fingers. “My husband is an invited guest.”

  
The scowl on Kris’ face as he slapped Jongin’s hand away was amusing to say the least. “You know what, I don’t actually give a damn why you’re here, just _stay away_ from me.” He growled out, his eyes so expressive that Jongin could almost feel the heat of his anger and his displeasure. And instead of finding himself intimidated, Jongin took notice of the way Kris appeared to be taking in his form without moving his eyes away from his gaze. The perusal felt as if Kris were slowly touching every place on Jongin’s body he was admiring and despite himself, the brunet shivered and unconsciously bit his lip.

  
When coal eyes took in the movement, Jongin smirked and shoved his book into Kris’ chest, not bothering to see if the man caught it as he whirled on his heels and sauntered away. “I make no promises to the help, _waiter_.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The playlist of this fix included songs from Joe Dassin, Bob Marley, and Brenton Wood.  
> (⌒^⌒)ｂ
> 
> This is 1k short of my goal for massive 9k-10k chapters, but I feel like it ended in a good place.
> 
> So reward me! Comments make my day  
> (´・ω・)っ由 ☆♡


	3. Castaway the Heart Part Ⅲ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this was a long time coming XD
> 
> Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this massive chapter. The angst may not be 100% on point, but I tired. And in case anyone was wondering, these are the ages of all the main characters:
> 
> JONGIN: 28 MARRIED AT 22 MET/DATED AT 19  
> SEHUN: 27 MARRIED AT 21 MET/DATED AT 18  
> KRIS: 29
> 
> BTW: don't hate me! The best parts of the story are yet to come, expect an attempt at humor and some fluff next chapter!

## Castaway the Heart Part III

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin supposed it was only a matter of time before he made an appearance at the ship’s bar area. But to be fair, he was doing no more than waiting for his husband, who had called him over and then had the audacity to leave Jongin waiting for him as he went to another meeting with the man who tried to buy him just the night before. Really, Jongin wondered why he bothered leaving bed.

  
“Would you like anything to drink, Sir?” The bartender asked indulgently, and from the way his eyes darted down to the tiny rock on Jongin’s ring finger, he wasn’t expecting much of a tip. 

  
Shaking his head, Jongin waved him off. The man moved away and Jongin sighed before looking around and observing the people in the establishment. There was the odd couple here and there talking and having lunch, but groups of women who screamed desperate in their scanty dresses and men who wore the label bachelor as a badge were far more common and actually expected in a bar on an early afternoon. Humming to himself thoughtfully, Jongin played with the thin gold band on his finger and wondered if he fell into either category, or if he was one of the odd few out of place.

  
“Hello, may I sit here?” Someone drawled in accented English, the words slipping over Jongin like silk and making him turn in interest to see a man standing at his side. He was holding a cut crystal glass of brown liquid, unadorned aside from the diamond shaped ice cubes placed within the drink. However Jongin’s attention was caught by his seemingly harmless half lidded eyes, the slight quirk of his lips pushing a dimple into his right cheek. He was handsome in a classic foreign way and Jongin saw no harm in letting the man sit next to him, even if there were other empty stools in the bar area.

  
“I’m not expecting company,” Jongin settled for saying, waving at the seat next to himself carelessly. Sehun was obviously occupied and Jongin wasn’t concerned about him making an appearance for quite a while. The man’s smile widened and he chuckled a little sheepishly as he sat down. “Well, I apologize if I intruded. You just appeared in the same position as myself on this ship.”

  
Liking the way he articulated his words clearly, with a little hint of a husky accent, Jongin turned in his seat to face him. “Usually when someone asks for a seat next to me, they’re more forward with their intentions.” 

  
The bartender, obviously spotting the stranger’s custom suit, silk shirt, and costly watch, immediately appeared in front of the duo with a polite smile on his face. “What’ll it be for the afternoon sir?” 

  
The man placed his glass on the counter and merely pushed it to the bartender, “I would like a refill, Spanish rum on the rocks.”  The bartender nodded and whisked away the cut glass to fill it up, and while he was gone, the stranger observed Jongin with the same half-smile he had on before. 

  
“I apologize for not introducing myself before claiming this seat,” The man said smoothly, placing his elbow on the countertop and resting his chin under one curled fist. “I am the owner of this cruise line, Zhang Yixing.”

  
Surprised, Jongin offered a hand for Yixing to shake, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Zhang. I did not realize I would be meeting someone like you in this…situation.” He said politely, vaguely tilting his head to gesture around the bar area meaningfully.

  
To his credit, Yixing laughed and sheepishly pushed back a lock of unruly dark hair. “I know, however I cannot say I regret meeting you.”

  
Smiling, Jongin demurely returned the sentence with a simple, “Likewise Mr. Zhang.”

  
The bartender reappeared with the drink and Yixing thanked the man before taking a sip and waving a hand through the air as if to dispel the aura of politeness. “No need for formalities, you may refer to me by my first name, that is of course if you do not mind that I use yours in return?” He hummed at the taste of the rum and Jongin could see the hint of his dimple peek out as he smiled again, the man knew his charm and he was confident in the way he carried himself, but he was not overly narcissistic or arrogant. Jongin had a feeling he was good at interacting with people and reading them while keeping up a charming mirage of his own.

  
“I don’t mind at all,” Jongin replied simply, eyeing the rum Yixing had and finding himself surprised when the craving for alcohol was dulled. His mind must have overcome his body, especially since he was intrigued and curious about the man sitting next to him, it served as good a diversion as any he supposed. “If you don’t mind me prying,” Jongin began, watching as Yixing set his drink down on the marble counter again. “What exactly did you mean when you said we were in the same position?” Being married and being successful were two different things, how could Jongin have any similarities between himself and the man who owned the very ship he was spending the next few weeks on with his husband?

  
“Ah, that’s just a simple observation.” Yixing settled for saying, his dark eyes appearing to catch the twinkle of the overhead lights of the bar. “I was alone and you seemed lonely here as well.” 

  
Feeling silly for looking for a deeper meaning earlier, Jongin ducked his head a little and bit his lip in an effort not to blurt out an oh! in surprise. He felt a little embarrassed and it probably showed in the form of a faint blush on his cheeks. 

  
To his credit, Yixing did not say anything about Jongin’s reaction, though he did smirk a bit cockily. “However that was not the entire reason for my decision to accompany you.” He settled for saying, not elaborating further than that even when Jongin raised a brow in question.

  
Jongin however, let it go and chalked it up to the man being vague on a whim. “Well, as superficial a reason as that is, I am not used to someone like you invading my space.”

  
The tinkling of the diamond ice ships in Yixing’s drink could be heard over the gradually growing din of the lunch crowd in the bar and restaurant area. “And what type do you attract? I would imagine celebrities and royalty alike would beat one another off in an effort to vie for your attention.”

  
Immediately scoffing, Jongin shook his head in disagreement. “If that were true, I wouldn’t have had to limit myself to a few drinks in a bar before retreating to the privacy of my room.” That was the one true method for dealing with drunks who got too close in their efforts to bring him home, as if Jongin were something they deserved to have decorate their bed for a night. It was proven a reliable method as well after Jongin was almost _scolded_ by Sehun for daring to assault someone else, but really, a throat jab was the least the brute who groped him and verbally attacked him deserved. Of course his last mistake had Jongin mend the rule, he now promised himself to never accept more than one drink in public lest he pay the local jail another visit.

  
This time, Yixing let out an unrestrained laugh, his smile stretched over straight white teeth and his dimple nearly getting lost in the action. “Based on your expression, I take it you had quite a few unpleasant experiences.”

  
Usually someone he did not know well laughing at his past discomfort would have Jongin bristling a little at the informality, but he had a feeling that Zhang Yixing had not laughed genuinely in a while. 

  
At that moment, the bartender chose to appear again, the polite smile on his face not nearly enough to hide his eagerness at the perceived giving mood Yixing seemed to be in. “Sir is there anything more you’d like?”

  
Yixing raised his drink again and the overhead lighting of the bar area shone through the amber liquid, the glass still more than three quarters full. Seeing this, the bartender’s smile slipped a little, but Yixing ignored him and looked to Jongin expectantly. “Would you like to order anything?”

  
Jongin was feeling awkward sitting at a bar with no drinks in front of him, but he was sticking to his earlier promises. “No thank you, I’m not in the mood for alcohol.”

  
Tilting his head, Yixing’s smiled softened. “Would you still decline if I promised to get a drink that reminds me of you? Non-alcoholic of course.”

  
Blinking, Jongin hesitantly nodded. Yixing’s eyes took on another glint, almost appearing as if he were smiling with them, before he waved the waiting bartender over and discreetly whispered him a drink order. 

  
Jongin was not aware that he made anyone think of a beverage just by talking to them, but based on the more eager and bright expression on Yixing’s face as the worker left, he felt a bit more at ease. It seemed harmless, and he was honestly curious about Yixing’s opinion of him. Despite just meeting, he considered Yixing interesting and wanted to know what went on in the other man’s mind.

  
Sensing Jongin’s questioning eyes, Yixing took another sip of his rum and licked his lips before speaking. “I like to think I am in tune with my five senses. When meeting new people as child, I used to imagine what melodies they would be, what smell would follow them, even what taste or feel they would personify.” He paused long enough to set his glass down again because his wildly gesturing hands were sloshing the amber colored liquid dangerously close to the rim. “For a while I drove my parents crazy when I told them that they looked like the color of the sky after a rainstorm, ravaged greys spread across a hopeful blue. Of course, I grew out of the habit of declaring people colors and scents, but when meeting someone new, my mind still conjures up memories of things that I have tasted before.”

  
Enraptured, Jongin thought of his own parents. Unlike Yixing, he was a generally more obedient child, though he did have moments of mischievous playfulness when mixed with the right people. Still, they were warm and caring and Jongin imagined they would match the colors of a fading sunset or a bright dawn, colors that blended into warm tones seamlessly and hinted at more in their depth. It was a shame they had a son like Jongin, who had never once contacted them again after getting married.

  
“I imagine all this sounds a bit eccentric, right?” Yixing asked drawing Jongin out of his thoughts and placing him within the moments again.

  
“Oh, it does seem strange at first. However we all have our idiosyncrasies, so I can’t judge you for speaking of something I actually find fascinating.”

  
“Idiosyncrasy,” Yixing repeated with a wry quirk of his lips, “Yes I suppose it is one, I have just thought of it as a mere habit I never quite let go.”

  
Jongin wanted to say more, about how he found that he used the wrong words to describe Yixing’s affiliation for sense, but the bartender once again appeared in front of them, this time holding a flute of liquid that was a soft pale red, bubbles faintly rising from the bottom and popping at the top, the sound of fizz reaching Jongin’s ears. 

  
“I have your drink Sir, please enjoy. And notify me of anything you—”

  
“Thank you, that will be all.” Yixing interrupted, waving the man away with a simple flick of his wrist, even as he took hold of the glass, the delicate stem of the fluted container slipping between his fingers. The worker merely bowed and moved away, but Jongin’s attention was caught by Yixing, who faintly swirled the liquid around the flute, pressing the rim to his lips before opening his mouth and taking a sip of the drink that was meant for Jongin.

  
“Yes, this is exactly the taste,” Yixing hummed with a pleased grin, his dark eyes smiling and twinkling once again as he extended his arm and offered the drink to Jongin. He was wary of sharing a drink with Yixing, but his curiosity won out in the end and Jongin found himself accepting the champagne flute and taking a tentative swig of the drink, thoughts of the old superstition of indirect kisses briefly flitting through his mind.

  
The taste was deceptively simple. It had the fuzz and sweet syrupy taste of a plain soda, but there was an underlying hint of cherry and something distinctly citrusy, a little bitter as well as crisp and familiar—

  
“This is a cherry limeade.”  Jongin said aloud in realization, his tongue darting out to lick up the remnants of the drink on his lips. After the descriptions of color coming from Yixing, he had expected something exotic, or even unknown to his palate.

  
Yixing chuckled once again and he appeared to be amused at Jongin’s reaction. “That is one name for it. But from now on, I think I will call it Kai.”

  
Surprised at hearing such a familiar name, Jongin glanced up to meet Yixing’s eyes, the older male having already been watching Jongin and observing him. “Why did you pick that name?” He asked simply, his eyes darkening in suspicion. Kai was an old alias, a stage name of sorts, used back when he was in college and still in the belief that he would one day become a famous dancer. 

  
Not losing his smile, Yixing answered without catching onto Jongin’s subtle change in mood. “It is like you and not. Kai is a foreign name found in a lot of places around the world, and I get the feeling that you wouldn’t like me naming a drink ‘ _Jongin_ ’ while you are still around to hear it.” 

  
Relaxing a bit, Jongin copied Yixing’s earlier movements and swirled the pale red of the liquid within his glass. “You guessed right, but I am going to have to question your choice. I do not see how this is anything like me.” Jongin did not know what impression he gave off, but he certainly didn’t expect a sugary and bubbly drink to be considered a representation of his cynical self.

  
Yixing’s eyes did not lose their excited sheen and he thankfully was not offended at Jongin’s skepticism. “Oh I know it seems that way now, however I feel somehow that the way you see yourself and the way you others see you is at odds.” Jongin noted that Yixing had a thing for words. “I can see that you do not laugh as much as you did and the carbonation in this drink represents that. The bubbles all float away and disappear, but you can still taste the sweetness left behind, mainly in the form of the cherry.”

  
Jongin avoided looking at Yixing and peered at his flute, noticing that most of the bubbles from earlier were gone, though the faint fizz of the last few remained. It was a little eerie how right Yixing was about him when they met a few moments ago. He did not laugh as much as he used to, nor did he feel the urge to smile, or even enjoy happiness as he did when he was much younger.

  
Raising a brow, Jongin glanced back at Yixing and he didn’t have to voice out his question of ‘what else?’ for the man to smile and continue.

  
“The lime, is a little bitter. In the drink, it’s balanced by the sugar in the cherry and the soda, but I see it as a representation of strength.” He stopped speaking and he seemed to gather himself for a moment. “A lot can change a person in life, and though things can happen that make a situation turn bitter, there is a certain toughness that it draws out of someone who has been through it.”

  
The weight of Yixing’s words settled over Jongin and he was genuinely…surprised. He was not expecting a deeper reading into his life and general personality and Jongin wondered how someone he just meet could take a few moments to make such a judgement of him. His own husband Sehun didn’t know him most of the time and they had known one another for years.

  
“Yix—”

  
“Jongin!” A familiar voice interrupted, sounding off and somehow the same at once. He didn’t have to look back to know that Sehun was advancing, most likely an expression of anger or resentment ion his face. When he finally reached the area he and Yixing were sitting at, Sehun sidled up to his side and he placed a hand on his upper arm, gripping his bicep in something similar to a vice grip.

  
Usually Jongin would protest this, but when he glanced up, Sehun wasn’t even looking at him. His eyes were set on Yixing, his frown deeper than usual. The owner of the cruise ship himself was looking at ease and Jongin wondered why Sehun was acting so adverse to the most courteous man present at the moment.

  
“I _told_ you to wait for me in the hall,” Sehun reprimanded and Jongin felt the earlier ease he had with Yixing dissipate as the familiar swirl of emotions that accompanied Sehun’s appearance again. “But I’m not too surprised, who is this?”

  
The sudden question confused and irked Jongin all at once, because who was Sehun to question who he spent his time with? But before he could so much as open his mouth, Yixing was smiling charmingly at Sehun and extending a hand to shake. “Hello, I am Zhang Yixing. Would you by chance be Jongin’s husband?” 

  
“Yes, I am Oh Sehun.” Sehun looked wary as he extended his hand and easily shook Yixing’s hand, Jongin didn’t notice the way both men briefly tightened their grip on one another before letting go. 

  
“So what brings you to the area? Business?” Yixing asked and the question was nothing someone wouldn’t ask another person, but it was the way his eyes became sharper and his smile just a bit wider that had Jongin wondering where all this tension was coming from.

  
Sehun titled his head to the side and with his height and natural haughty bearing, he looked like he was staring down at Yixing as if he were no more than a pest. “Yes, my company has been generous enough to allow us on an employee retreat. The CEO believes that good work results stem from employee trust.” His grip on Jongin’s arm tightened briefly when Yixing drew closer, but the man wasn’t paying attention to Sehun.

  
“A smart CEO. Relationships are fulfilling, but a person needs friends if they want to succeed.” Yixing’s eyes were on Jongin, but after clasping his hand in his and placing a light kiss on the back of his palm, his eyes flicked up to Sehun and his dimpled grin made an appearance once again. “Mr. Oh, I hope you realize the importance of good relationships.”

  
“Of course,” Sehun’s face was set more rigidly than stone as he used his hold on Jongin’s arm to haul him out of his seat. The simple action made Jongin’s flush in indignation and anger and while he wanted to snap at Sehun and ask him what the hell his problem was, he controlled himself in an effort not to make Yixing feel uncomfortable. Still, once standing at Sehun’s side, Jongin subtly nudged him in the ribs with his elbow, flashing the taller man a glare before turning back to Yixing and giving the last of his goodbyes.

  
“Hurry up!” Sehun whispered, yanking on Jongin’s arm and dragging him away from Yixing quickly.

  
“What is _wrong_ with you!?” Jongin finally burst out, twisting his arm out of Sehun’s grip and adjusting his clothing all while keeping stride with Sehun. People in the restaurant area were watching curiously as they left, but Jongin wasn’t in the mood for a public fight so he kept his tone to a vehement stage whisper. “Has someone pissed in your coffee this morning!?”

  
Sehun’s lip curled at the crude words and he took a sharp turn, taking them down another well decorated corridor of the ship. “Do not say such things! We are out in the public eye, and if you must know, we are running late because _you_ deemed wasting away in a bar a productive use of time. It was beyond troublesome to look for you.”

  
Jongin purposely slowed down a little so that now Sehun was the one in the lead, and when the irate man turned back to glare at him expectantly, he smirked and began walking again. 

  
“You act as if _I_ was the one who kept _you_ waiting, Sehun.” Jongin started, only to stop once Sehun reached a pair of thick doors at some empty hall of the cruise ship. Honestly, Jongin was not sure how they had arrived in such a place, especially since he believed himself to have discovered everything aboard the luxury vessel. 

  
With one warning looked sent down at Jongin from the corner of his eyes, Sehun addressed Jongin. “We are here to dine with Mr. Monroe and his…companion for a late lunch. You _will_ be courteous, and you _will_ keep your scathing comments to yourself, understood?” 

  
Bristling, Jongin crossed his arms and scowled. “Why the hell would I voluntarily sit at a table with that old creep!?”

  
Sehun took a deep breath and he closed his eyes for a brief moment before he opened them to meet Jongin’s expectant gaze. “I am not fond of his company either.” The slight agreement had Jongin’s arms unfurling and slipping back to his side in surprise, his eyes widening as Sehun’s dark eyes showed resentment for his work superior.

  
However, Sehun suddenly blinked and all emotion was wiped from his eyes. Jongin only had a moment to compose himself before Sehun was opening the double doors and leading him inside, a familiar and somehow unconstricting arm wound around his waist once again.

  
Beyond the doors was a restaurant, but unlike the one attached to the bar he and Sehun had just left, Jongin noticed that this one had much grander and simpler decorations. The plaster on the ceiling was molded and carved into a mix of filigree bordered squares surrounding old crests of lilies and ivy leaves. In the middle of the ceiling, a gold and crystal wrought chandelier was glittering in the late afternoon light streaming in through windows set at the far edge of the room. Numerous tables littered the dinging floor, adorned in cream colored cloth with bands of lace running through the middle. 

  
Sehun only took one perusal of the room before the Maître ‘D was at their side, bowing and offering a polite smile as he asked where they were to be seated. Jongin let Sehun handle things, and instead busied himself with trying to spot Mr. Monroe before the man could catch them. 

  
He didn’t get very far before the Maître ‘D was leading them to a table at the far edge of the room, right next to a large window. Seated at the table, was Sehun’s very satisfied looking superior. At his side in a chair pushed intimately close to the repulsive man was a pretty girl that Jongin’s old group of friends would immediately dub Jailbait. 

  
“Ah Sehun and Jongin, so nice to see both of you once again.” Mr. Monroe said with a fat smile gracing his face, making his slight wrinkle lines more prominent than they were when he was blank faced. 

  
“We appreciate the lunch invite, Sir.” Sehun said smoothly with a formal bow in both their directions. Jongin followed and he plastered a pleasant smile on his lips, hoping that he could get through the lunch without immediately spitting up the food, or saying something that would warrant Sehun’s ire.

  
Unfortunately, Mr. Monroe deemed now a perfect time to be an insufferable fool. “Jongin, I believe you and my _lovely_ Kana have yet to meet.” The man then gestured to the girl and she looked at Jongin and Sehun with wide eyes before bowing in their direction. She kept quiet even as Jongin introduced himself back.

  
Once done, Jongin sat next to Sehun and he suddenly found the view outside the ship very interesting. Sehun merely raised a brow at his sudden meekness before shaking it off and facing Mr. Monroe once again, he wasn’t too surprised to see the man watching Jongin already, but he did feel something close to irritation and possessiveness well op within his chest. “Sir, I believe you wished to speak of the recent decline in company stock values?” He prompted and he felt somewhat vindicated that the man’s attention immediately shifted from Jongin to himself.

  
“Yes, yes, I almost forgot. You are in charge of marketing, correct? I want you to look into a way to cast the company in a better light, make people want to invest their savings in us again.”

  
“That is already a project I am undertaking, I have some plans outlined and I believe there is a way for us to gain the public’s interest. From there, we can work on establishing trust, as I am sure that the representative for our department has already informed you.”

  
Mr. Monroe opened his mouth to say more, but Jongin tuned them out, not interested in anything either man had to say. Hiding a yawn, Jongin wondered how long it would take for the waiter to appear, his neck was already starting to ache from being turned toward the window and he was sure the sunlight reflecting off the water waves would sting his eyes and conjure up spots of light whenever he blinked later.

  
As the two business workers droned on, a slight nudge to his foot had Jongin looking up in surprise, his eyes catching that of the young woman accompanying Mr. Monroe. _‘Kaina? Kaya? No wait, it was Kana!’_ Jongin thought, about to open his mouth and ask the girl why she was kicking him under the table. But before he could so much as open his mouth, the girl discreetly shook her head and let her eyes dart form him, down to the table.

  
Understanding the action, Jongin looked down and was surprised to see a folded napkin, the faint edges of ink peeking out from under the folded cloth. Curious now, Jongin met Kana’s eyes and when the woman nodded, he shuffled his hand to the side of the table and took hold of the napkin before placing it in his lap and unfolding it.

 

**You look like a bored puppy. Is master not paying you any attention?**

 

Miffed, Jongin crumpled the napkin in his lap and he glared at Kana. The woman hid a giggle behind a tiny hand and Jongin was just about to childishly throw the crumpled napkin at her when she tilted her head to the far left, her eyes caught on Jongin’s meaningfully. Irked, Jongin looked down in a jerky movement and he saw a black ink pen partially hidden behind a salad fork. Looking to his left, Jongin saw that his husband and Mr. Monroe were still talking, Sehun looking more and more agitated as time wore on. 

  
Placing his hand on the table, Jongin slid his hand along the tablecloth until his fingertips brushed against the pen. Curling his fingers around the thing, Jongin quickly pulled it to his side, barely avoiding catching Mr. Monroe’s attention as the big man grabbed his wine glass and took a swig. 

  
Heart beat fluttering at the close call, Jongin turned his attention to the napkin in his lap.

 

**As if you are free to talk, are you aware the man sitting next to you is more than twice your age, little girl?**

 

‘ _Alright, insult deflected, demeaning name deployed_.’ Jongin thought, fighting the urge to smirk as he rolled the napkin, notes inside, around the pen. He only had time to slide it across the table where it blended into the shadow cast under Kana’s silverware before the waiter approached the table.

  
“Excuse the wait, Sir. The kitchen has recently undergone renovation and the staff is still getting used to the changes.” The familiar voice almost had Jongin groaning in disappointment. Of all the restaurants he had to work, why the hell did _Kris_ appear in the one Jongin had to dine in!?

  
Mr. Monroe ignored the apology as he began ordering, nearly listing off all the items on the menu before settling on ordering one puny salad for Kana. Sehun ordered as well and Jongin floundered when Kris’ coal colored eyes landed on him. He looked as resigned to seeing Jongin as a man walking down death row looked accepting of his fate. 

  
“And for you Sir?” He asked, unknowingly bringing the table’s attention to Jongin.

  
“I-I will have whatever the chef recommends.” Jongin settled for saying, glad that he only stumbled over his words minimally.

  
Kris nodded and he gathered up the thick paper and leather covered menus. He bowed at the table one more time before stalking off the to the kitchen, the tightening of his jaw only visible to Jongin, who already knew what anger looked like on the man. 

  
“So as I was saying Sehun, we need to anticipate the consumer’s demands before they are even aware of what they want!”

  
Sehun must have replied, but Jongin’s attention was snatched by another kick under the table. Kana was looking at him expectantly, the pen already re-rolled and pressed against a dinner fork this time. Jongin faintly wondered how she was able to unwrap it and write a response in under what had to be at least a minute.

  
Shrugging mentally because he had nothing better to do, Jongin snuck the note back to his lap and he took his time unrolling the napkin, his eyes flitting up to meet the Kana’s teasingly because she was almost leaning out of her seat to read his expression. Caught watching him, Kana flushed a faint pink and she cast her eyes out the window, a barely there frown crossing her red stained mouth.

 

**Only old perverts call a woman a little girl.**

 

“ _Aish this brat!_ ” Jongin whispered to himself, feeling irritated that the little twerp was being so rude. Who in their right minds passed notes anyway!? Jongin moved to crumple the paper, but at the frantic look in Kana’s eyes, Jongin stopped and hesitantly tried to catch what she would not say aloud. She kept looking down at Jongin’s lap and then flicking her eyes up, and unsure that he was reading the signals right, Jongin glanced back down at the napkin. The thick cloth absorbed ink well, but there was a faint smudge stain in the corner. 

 

**Sorry, I can’t talk, and you looked as lonely as me. Please don’t be mad, I was only teasing the way friends do. At least I think they do? I don’t know, maybe—**

 

The rest of the word was lost in a smudge and Jongin felt his earlier anger melt away into sympathy. Kana couldn’t talk, and the simple fact had him feeling remorse for being so quick to judge her. When he looked up again, the young woman was eyeing him anxiously. Upon seeing the faint pity in Jongin’s eyes though, the young woman briefly narrowed her eyes and stuck out her tongue at Jongin.

  
Once again feeling miffed, Jongin scowled and began focusing on writing a response. 

 

**Poor little girl, if you want friends, text someone your own age and stop sending me notes!**

 

Now Jongin wasn’t too proud of this, but he did draw a figure throwing the finger. Then he carelessly rolled the napkin back around the pen and dropped the thing on the floor, smirking when the young woman bared her teeth at him in irritation. It would be hard to catch the note without bringing attention to herself now and satisfied, Jongin kicked the note another inch out of the way.

  
Without realizing just how absorbed he was in exchanging notes with Kana, Jongin was faintly surprised to see that the waiter was walking toward their table with two silver domed platters held in each unturned palm. 

  
“Alright, here is your food, is there anyway else I may be of use?” Kris asked once he was done setting the food in front of each person. Jongin raised a brow at the green bowl placed in front of him. “Waiter,” He called out, catching Kris’ attention once again. “What is _this_?”

  
Kris leaned forward slightly and Jongin noted that he looked almost like a turtle peeking its head out of its shell. “Oh, that is the Chef’s own special, kale, celery, broccoli, apple, and mint chicken soup.” The corner of the handsome waiter’s mouth quirked up and he almost appeared to be looking down on Jongin. “Please enjoy.”

  
When he bowed and left, Jongin glared after him and cursed himself for not choosing something more suitable for his…palate. Sehun cast a surreptitious look at Jongin and his soup from the corner of his eyes, he looked amused and when Jongin glared at him, he turned his head and hid a laugh with a fake cough into his hand. 

  
It was something that Jongin had not been able to shake since he was a kid, and instead of becoming a habit, it was now a deep aversion. Jongin absolutely hated eating anything green, leafy, bitter, or vaguely healthy. In short, he hated any and all vegetables and he avoided them with a passion, and after knowing one another for years, Sehun was aware of this fact. But was his husband helping him? _No_ , the bastard was laughing at him in front of his boss!

  
Feeling his stomach rumble in complaint, Jongin picked up a random spoon placed at his side and he let it splat into the toxic green colored concoction that Kris delivered to him. If the waiter was behind this completely green choice, then Jongin wouldn’t doubt it, the man had a sixth sense for getting under his skin. Lifting his spoon out of the bowl, a chunk of mutilated chicken greeted him and Jongin sighed before letting the silverware hit the side of the bowl, some soup splashing warningly close to the edge of the bowl. 

  
 _‘I cannot eat this!_ ’ Jongin thought, fighting the urge to be sick. He didn’t want to embarrass himself that way, and he’d rather not be stuck in the medical ward of the ship because of something as small as food poisoning. So with that in mind, Jongin looked around and was quick to spot Kris, his tall form easy to pick out amongst the crowd of seated diners.

  
Leaning to his side, Jongin pinched Sehun’s thigh. Once his husband’s familiar scowl was directed at him, Jongin whispered behind his hand. “ _Flag down our waiter.”_

  
Sehun was about to refuse, but a curios look from Mr. Monroe had him plastering an indulgent smile on his face. “Of course, _Love_.” He said sarcastically, inwardly seething at the smug look Jongin sent him as he raised his hand and gestured for the waiter to come to their table.

  
A waiter passing by saw them and he looked around before spotting Kris on his way to the kitchen. The waiter followed the tall man into the kitchen and moments later, the tall lumbering form of the irritating waiter was walking back toward their table. 

  
“Is there a problem, Sir?” Kris asked, his attention on Sehun. It was a little late now, but Jongin realized that this was probably the first real interaction that Kris had had with his husband, and having the two men standing before one another had Jongin’s traitorous mind comparing the two. Sehun’s dark hair, fair skin, and pink lips always brought to mind the cool colors of winter and Sehun was as cold and calm as the season, aided by the fact that he wore clean cut expensive clothing as if it were mere casual wear. Kris by comparison, had a slight tan to match his thick black hair and instead of hiding all his emotions the way Sehun did, a few slip ups could be seen in his expression. In comparison to Sehun’s refined features and bearings, Kris was more wild and disordered, chaotic and masculine in a way.

  
Sehun said something to Kris, his eyebrows turned down over his eyes and suddenly both men turned their eyes on Jongin. Having two pairs of identical dark eye looking at him, one cold and one fiery had Jongin losing his train of thought.

  
“Sir, is the dish not to your liking?” 

  
The question brought Jongin back to the moment, and he ducked his head to hide his embarrassed blush. However when he caught sight of the ghastly green soup, Jongin felt himself pale in disgust and he pushed the bowl away from himself. “Yes, I cannot eat this and I want to send it back to the kitchen.”

  
Kris straightened and with his added height he seemed to be looming over Jongin. “Sir, I apologize, but the chef here is world renowned and it is an unspoken rule within the establishment that no dishes are to be sent back.”

  
Jongin shook his head and refused to bend. “No, I _will not_ eat it, and you _will_ send it back. I’m sure the chef will understand.” He said as he glared up at Kris, catching his eyes head on and refusing to back out of the small stare down they started.

  
“I cannot. This is what the chef had recommended and I cannot in good conscience send this back to the kitchens.” Kris refuted.

  
By now their voices were reaching louder tones and Sehun shifted in the seat next to Jongin before he leaned over the brunette, “ _Jongin, stop this. It is no use causing a scene, just accept your meal and eat your vegetables. You are acting like a child right now!”_ He hissed quietly and if one were listening, they would be able to pick out what Sehun was saying easily over the quiet din of the restaurant.

  
Mr. Monroe uselessly cleared his throat and he gestured to the waiter, “I apologize for his behavior, I was not aware that Mr. Oh was so… _difficult_.” He said, looking at Jongin at the last word, emphasized to add insult to injury.

  
Feeling insulted, Jongin shook Sehun off and crossed his arms before glaring at the old pervert Sehun called a boss. “Waiter, take the dish back _now_. I’m sure the restaurant can survive this one blow to its reputation.” He reasoned and when no one made a move, whispering picked up in the restaurant and Jongin became aware of all the attention the other tables were sending him now. 

  
Kris appeared condescending as he once again tried to explain the ‘unspoken rule of the restaurant,’ but Jongin interrupted him with a raised hand.

  
“I have a severe allergy to mint.” He admitted, watching as the Kris’ face morphed from one of haughty righteousness to dawning horror. “Now, unless the restaurant wishes to continue to insist that a patron consume something that could kill them, I’m sure that the chef will be understanding when the dish is sent to the back.” It was a blatant lie, but Sehun bit his tongue to save face with Jongin.

  
Jongin liked to believe that he didn’t inwardly gloat over the fact that Kris had to swallow his pride once again as he quietly took the soup and darted off the to the kitchen. The sounds of crashing and shouting coming from the kitchen echoing in the dining area as Kris received the brunt end of the chef’s fury.

 

  
 ♡ 

 

  
When the door to their assigned room slammed shut behind them, Sehun rounded on him in a seething rage, the emotion so strong in his eyes that Jongin was taken aback.

  
“Why the fuck can’t you do _anything_ right!?” He spat, obviously blaming Jongin for the scene that happened earlier in the restaurant, and consequently what happened after with the girl Mr. Monroe brought with him. Passing notes was one thing, getting caught was another headache Jongin didn’t need, though with the antagonistic look in Sehun’s eyes, the man was intent on adding to the burden.

  
Narrowing his eyes, Jongin refused to back down, his eyes just as hard as he glared back at Sehun. “Who are you to tell me what to do? I am an _adult_ and I can do what I damn well please!” 

  
Sehun scoffed, not looking threatened in the least. “You are no adult. You act like an overgrown spoiled child.” Indignation was not a strong enough emotion for what he was feeling at the moment, and Jongin was sure that based on Sehun’s more than triumphant demeanor, he believed that he’d tripped Jongin up. 

  
“I’m a child!? You were the one to start up these little games, as if fucking around to get back at me for an argument could get any less childish!”

  
Sehun’s eyes darkened into fathomless pools of anger as he crowded Jongin against the wall next to the shut door, his hands easily coming up to cage his head in with a slam that rattled the doorframe. “Do not pretend to be so chaste. I _know_ you have done the same, and I _know_ that you’ve been doing it before we even had our first anniversary!” About to protest, Jongin opened his mouth to reply, the familiar feeling of being accused for a wrong he never committed welling up within him. 

  
“I did no-”

  
“ _Nothing_? Like hell I’m going to believe any lie a snake like you tries to spit at me,” Sehun interrupted with a growl. 

  
The words hurt more than they should have especially since this was not the first time that he’d been wrongly accused, but something about the way Sehun spat his poisoned words at him, his posture angry and rough and his eyes dark and foreboding. Even his face was twisted into an angered scowl and something close to a mix of fear and hurt, as well as the familiar heartbreak welled within Jongin.

  
The familiar pinprick behind his eyelids, along with the hard to swallow lump caught in the back of his throat had Jongin tremoring with concealed emotions. So with a harsh glare, Jongin shoved Sehun’s shoulder until the man moved, breaking the makeshift cage he had his older husband caught up in.

  
‘ _Don’t cry, don’t cry, damn it_.’ Jongin chanted in his mind as he nearly stumbled his way to the in suite private bathroom. He slammed the door behind himself and barely had the presence of mind to lock it. Once that was done, it was as if all the nerves in his legs decided to just shut down and he numbly sank to the floor. His back was pressed to the closed door, the inch thick wood barely much of a barrier between him and Sehun. He would rather be somewhere far away, somewhere he’d never have to deal with Sehun or this fake marriage anymore. 

  
Just the thought had Jongin scoffing to himself as he wiped his teary eyes. The only way he would ever leave Sehun was if he were stuck on a deserted island.

  
Heaving a heavy sigh, Jongin closed his eyes for a moment and let everything wash over him. He didn’t know how things got so bad, or how he ever began feeling regret and a pathetic jumble of sadness and anger every time he saw Sehun’s face. Shaking his head, Jongin decided not to delve into more depressing thoughts. He gave himself a new reason to drink every time he did and that was the last thing he needed at the moment. 

  
Standing up again, Jongin smoothed out his clothes and wondered if should change before he headed back out to the makeshift library—

  
Catching sight of his own reflection in the horrid floor to ceiling mirror hung on the wall right text to the shower, Jongin grimaced. He didn’t cry this time, but his eyes were red with the strain of holding back and a frown was etched into the corners of his mouth, and combined with the faintest half crescent shadows under his eyes, he easily aged a decade. 

  
 _‘I guess no one is immune to stress_.’ Jongin thought wryly. Luckily he had makeup skills that never really faded as he got older, maybe it had something to do with his insecurities about his age, but Sehun never noticed when he had a plain face or a pretty made up one anyway. 

  
Steeling himself for another potential confrontation, Jongin slowly slid the bathroom door open. Nothing immediately happened so Jongin cautiously opened the door further and stepped out of the bathroom. The room appeared to be empty and Jongin took the chance to rush to his dresser. The luggage was unpacked for them while they were out for lunch and Jongin easily found something he hadn’t worn since his college days. Back then, revealing clothes and messy hair was a rage, trashy sex appeal was considered desirable. So Jongin changed into some skin tight leather jeans, paired with a black shirt comprised of loose and semi-transparent chiffon. The shirt went on and was only buttoned halfheartedly across his middle, and with the right movement Jongin knew that his lower stomach and upper chest would be exposed.

  
He passed by another mirror and Jongin took a moment to really look at himself. He wasn’t nearly as old as he sometimes made himself out to be, nor was he in anyway less attractive than he was when he was in his very early twenties. Smiling at himself hesitantly, Jongin ran a hand through his hair and bit his lip, pinching his cheeks after to add a more natural flush to his face. 

  
Hearing someone pacing outside, Jongin glanced away from the mirror to see Sehun’s profile highlighted by the late evening light through the billow white curtains. He was pacing and running a hand through his hair in a clear sign of agitation, his voice taking on a frustrated quality. He was holding his phone to his ear and he didn’t seem to take any notice of Jongin 

  
“ _—Don’t think I can do this anymore!_ ”

  
Interest piqued, Jongin crept on silent bare feet across the room until he was hidden next to the curtained balcony doors.

  
_“Why do we need him anyway? Everything is done, we just—”_

  
Someone on the other line must have said something because Sehun went quiet for a few moments, his shoulders tense as he grabbed the railing of the balcony with one hand, the other cradling his phone to his ear. The conversation, or what he had managed to catch from Sehun’s end, was suspicious to say the least. Jongin had a sick feeling rise in his stomach, his instincts screamed at him to move on, to leave for the moment because he just _knew_.

  
Sehun stood still for a while as he listened to the other person on the phone, but the subtle relaxation of his posture made Jongin wonder who the hell he was talking to—

 

 

  
“ _I understand…I just…You know_ I love you _right?”_

 

 

  
The faint admission was no more than a hushed whisper and Jongin felt his own heart freeze. His own husband, who hadn’t once uttered those words to him within the past two years was saying it to someone else. And the way he did it, as if it were a hushed admission, sounded so _sincere_ and familiar to Jongin that his brittle heart cracked. It was one thing to suspect that his husband loved someone else, and possibly hated him, but to hear it and to have proof that he had moved on…Jongin was caught feeling agonized.

  
He must have made a pained noise, a remnant of his screaming heart, because Sehun suddenly whirled around and peered into the room. At that moment, the wind blew the curtains in front of Jongin and if divine intervention were a thing, it just saved Jongin from being caught. All too soon, the moment passed and Sehun was back to gazing at the sea and crooning his love on the phone.

  
Reeling in shock, Jongin backed away and almost tripped on the floor, his feet having been caught up on a pair of shoes. Faintly Jongin could appreciate the irony of falling over the one item he needed to finish being dressed and leave the room decent. But he just shoved them on and ran out of the room, not bothering to slam the door or evens shut it behind himself.

 

  
 ♡ 

 

  
That night, Jongin reveled in everything that had an alcohol content of 80% or higher. That mainly narrowed his list down to expensive or cheap vodkas, and some whiskeys. Tequila was off the list not because it required a lime and some salt to even be considered by Jongin, but because it brought up too many pained memories of his past. A past before Sehun, a past he wanted to go back to and warn himself about, a past he desperately wished he could regain. Eighteen year old Jongin might not understand, but ten years can change a person.

  
So it was with a vigorous fervor that Jongin downed glass after glass of burning hot liquid. Alcohol felt like acid going down, but that same acid also brought a warmth back to Jongin, it made him feel so comforted. As did dancing, and that together made Jongin walk straight to the dancefloor. The mass of writhing bodies would have surprised him, and somewhere far in the back of his mind he knew it was only around seven or eight, but Jongin didn’t care. Instead, he let go, he let the music thrum through his blood and sway him to the beat like a puppet on a string. Many people came and went, some staying longer than a few songs to run their hands along his body and press wet kisses to Jongin’s neck. It felt nice, but when strangers got too close, he pushed them away in favor of dancing. He would not let anyone drag him off the dance floor, where he had all he needed in life.

  
Slim hands wrapped around his waist and Jongin startled a bit, shivering a little when the dexterous hands easily found the part in his shirt where his lower abdomen peeked out. 

  
“It seems we have met sooner than I anticipated,” A smooth voice purred in Jongin’s ear, making him unconsciously smirk and tilt his head back until he met the eyes of one Zhang Yixing.

  
“Does that mean you are not pleased to see me again?” Jongin pouted, feeling light and giddy with the mix of alcohol and music running through him. 

  
“Well, I cannot say that this situation is undesirable,” Yixing replied, smoothly taking Jongin from a fast paced tempo to something more befitting a slow song. Jongin hummed at the change, raising a brow in challenge at Yixing. “ _Oooh_ , Mr. Zhang is a rich dancer, I wonder who he had to fuck for his money?”

  
Yixing took his words in stride, his smile bringing out his dimple as his eyes flashed under the colored lights of the club. “It may be a surprise, but I worked for everything. In this instance, I would say I am in the position of the benefactor, rather than the beneficiary.” 

  
Jongin leaned back into Yixing some more, the gentle steps of their dance along with the man’s silky voice doing wonders to calm his agitated self. Still, Yixing was drawing vague shapes with his hand onto the skin just under his belly button. “Mmm, and if I ask who your beneficiary is, will you answer with the truth?” Jongin asked, knowing that the long forgotten heat simmering within his hips was a mere preface of what could happen later that night.

  
Yixing’s answering chuckle was damning enough, but Jongin couldn’t find it within himself to care for the man’s significant other when Yixing began trailing his hand higher up under his shirt. His touchers were light, and appreciative rather than teasing. It sent Jongin’s sense tingling and his cheeks flaming. 

  
“You know, you _have_ been on my mind all day…” Yixing breathed, his lips barely pressing against the back of Jongin’s ear as he swayed from side to side with him. Jongin hummed in faint acknowledgement, though he sounded disbelieving. Jongin knew that he was hardly memorable aside from that one fleeting thought and feeling of attraction strangers sent him. He was admired from afar for a brief moment, as all beautiful things are, before he was forgotten once again as just another pretty face. 

  
Yixing’s chest rumbled in a chuckle. “It is true, I wondered all day, if I had really read your tastes.” The song changed to something that sounded like a woman whispering, a man joining in as a faint undertone of a piano melted in. It was hardly a club song, but Jongin supposed the breathy moans and bed squeaks played behind the song were enough to grind to.

  
“Are you saying you have been thinking of how I _tasted_ all day?” Jongin asked, remembering the earlier encounter with Yixing, which consisted of the man spouting pretty theories. It all seemed like complete bullshit now, but he liked the way Yixing was pressing against his back. He could feel the man’s lithe body, toned and most likely strong against his own, and the touch was messing with Jongin’s starved senses.

  
Yixing muttered an agreement and Jongin smiled, turning in his hold and pressing his lips to the man’s. There was nothing gentle or discreet about the way Jongin immediately licked on Yixing’s lower lips, biting the flesh and teasing the sting away with a smirk when Yixing hissed. In response, Yixing let his hands travel to Jongin’s hips, grapping them tight and pulling them against his own. Jongin gasped at the sensation and Yixing smirked before he kissed Jongin, pressing his tongue into his mouth and teasing the other dancer’s slick cavern.

  
Having this type of attention, feeling Yixing’s desire pressing into his own thigh, it was addicting. It made him feel validated, it made him feel wanted and for the moment, important. So with his inhibitions dulled with alcohol and desperate lust, Jongin threw Sehun out of his mind and kissed Yixing back, even going as far as throwing a leg over his hip and bringing Yixing’s hand lower over his ass. The man didn’t seem too surprised, he went with everything and somehow managed to kiss Jongin even more deeply, chasing the air from both their mouths.

  
“What the _fuck_ are you doing!??” A familiar voice growled and that was all it took for Jongin to feel as if a bucket of ice cold water were thrown over his head. He pulled away from Yixing and Sehun’s glowering face appeared in his line of vision.

  
“I was looking for you everywhere, and what do I find?” Sehun asked, his face darkening and his furious tone causing people to back away and form a small ring around them. “I find you here, whoring around with some rich man, dressed like a lowly slut.”

  
The insult made Jongin flinch back, though he managed to overcome it with anger. “Did I ask for you to look for me!? Did I ask for your opinion on my clothing!?” Jongin’s rhetorical questions were met a clench of Sehun’s jaw. Forgetting about Yixing temporarily, Jongin stepped up to Sehun and shoved at his chest, making the man back up a step. “I’ve _never_ asked for anything from you, so fuck off!”

  
“Oh Sehun?” Yixing suddenly asked, diverting the quarreling spouses to look at him in surprise. Jongin frowned in confusion. He was almost startled by his voice.

  
“Zhang Yixing,” Sehun spat, narrowing his eyes and looking entirely repulsed and angered by Yixing’s presence. That was the same look Sehun was shooting Yixing earlier, only now it was multiplied tenfold and worn with a deep rancor.

  
“I was wondering when you would show up to retrieve your little doll.” Yixing replied, his eyes darting to Jongin before they went back to staring at Sehun.

  
“Doll? You speak as if you have won a game. Have you any idea where your own _doll_ is at this moment?” Sehun taunted, looking pleased that Yixing narrowed his eyes and visibly frowned. 

  
It was almost surreal, to be caught kissing another man by Sehun himself, only for his husband to talk to Yixing as if he knew him well beyond two people who had met earlier that same day. “H-how do you two really know each other?” Jongin hated being left in the dark, almost as much as he hated lies.

  
Yixing looked at him and his calm façade was back on his face, his previously lust clouded eyes now sparking in glee. “So you do not know? Your old dance partner had never spoken of his dear fiancé?”

  
“Dance partner?” Jongin asked, tilting his head in confusion, he hadn’t danced in years and he had fallen out of touch with his old friends. Sehun however, turned rigid, and at the sight of his discomfort Yixing’s smirk grew. 

  
“Luhan is my fiancé.”

  
At Yixing’s admission, Jongin shrank back from the man. That hated name had appeared again and Jongin wondered through the haze of tears in his eyes, why he was stuck with that _demon’s_ leftovers.

  
Sehun said something, most likely a scathing insult considering he loved _Luhan_ and Yixing was the man who intended to marry him, however Jongin didn’t hear any of it. All he heard was the sound of his own ragged breathing, and his mind shattered. All he knew was that he needed to get away, farfarawaynothere _not_ herenot _here_.

  
Stumbling away from both Yixing and Sehun, Jongin bumped into various people on the dancefloor, and each time he grew more and more frantic to leave. The music was pounding away in his head and the lights blurred everything behind his tears. He didn’t realize where he was going, he just needed to leave, and after a while he finally made it somewhere with cold air that whipped at his exposed skin, stinging like a fresh cut.

  
The pain felt good at this point, it was nothing compared to the weariness surrounding his heart and mind. So it was with a heaving sob that Jongin finally allowed his legs to give out. He crumpled to the floor and let the tears fall from his eyes. They burned as they fell, and it burned when he screamed out his frustration and his tireless heartache. A sharp blast of wind and icy water lashed out of Jongin and he felt his tears leave dry tracks on his cheeks.

  
Blearily Jongin opened his eyes and he saw the entirety of the ocean before him. A storm was raging just beyond the railing and he didn’t know how he missed it before, but the ship was rocking from side to side vigorously. The waves crashed against one another endlessly, raw and powerful, distant thunder rumbling the sky and the occasional flash of far off lighting illuminating the turbulent turquoise water.

  
Staring for a moment, Jongin felt a detached calm settle over his body. The air was growing colder, but he didn’t feel anything more than the beginnings of water pit-pattering across his skin. Tilting his head up, Jongin saw an endless sky of black, near invisible droplets of wild seawater kissing his face and dripping into his eyes, replacing his tears and washing them away. It was cleansing and comforting, and Jongin didn’t give it anymore thought as he stood up.

  
He felt all his weariness settle into relief as he walked to the metal railing surrounding the ship’s edges. There was no one up here with him, most probably preparing for the storm or attending to the rich guests inside. 

  
Jongin was now at the railing, the metal was cool and dangerously slippery under his palms, but he paid it no mind as he braced his weight on the metal and maneuvered his legs over the outer edge of the railing. The waves were so close now, and one crash and peak of water later, the ship lurched to the side, and Jongin slipped willingly over the edge. The fall was quick and easy.

  
He fell into the water with a crash, eyes closed in near bliss, but in some delusional part of his mind, he thought he heard someone screeching his name.

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I got a little cold while writing chapter two, but aside from editing and some more detail fluffing, it'll be done soon :)
> 
> So look forward to it and please comment! Chatting about the story makes helps me stay inspired :3


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